The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) will withdraw the ban on export of seafood to European Union (EU) countries from August 1, 2005, fishing industry sources said on Tuesday. They said that around Rs 200 million had been lost in government revenue due to the self-imposed 'ban'. But during the ban period the deep-sea fishing industry's Tuna Long Liners were busy in catching fish and to export seafood to China and Korea.
Sources told Business Recorder that the work on EU corridor action plan was in final stages and is expected to be completed by the end of this month, and seafood export would restart from August 1.
In reply to a question, sources in Minfal said that more than 150 Hilla fishing boats of different sizes have been prepared for the EU corridor, and these boats would maintain freshness of the seafood for export to EU. The voyage of these fishing boats would be short, they said.
They said that the fishermen are mostly poor and illiterate and it is difficult for them to follow the EU rules, although these rules are not very complicated but due to low standard of poor fishermen's education, problems arise in the fishing industry. However, now the fishermen community is improving the fishing boats and making efforts to follow the EU rules. In this connection the competent representatives of EU in Pakistan and the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) are solving the matters seriously.
The Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KFHA) and Sindh government, which has approved Rs 14.1 million grant, are now busy in making a new EU auction hall which will be completed soon.
Replying to a question, sources said that during the ban period the Ministry of Commerce was not serious to solve the fishing industry issues.
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