Halal seafood industry: Pakistan, Vietnam agree to expand cooperation

KARACHI: Pakistan and Vietnam have agreed to expand cooperation in the Halal seafood industry, signalling a new chapter in bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

To this end, a key meeting was held between the Ambassador of Vietnam to Pakistan, Pham Anh Tuan, representatives of the Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association, and Pangasius fish importers with Director General of Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) Dr Mansoor Ali Wassan.

Dr Wassan informed the participants that Pakistan’s seafood exports to Vietnam reached US $9 million in 2024, a 20 percent increase over the previous year. He also highlighted Pakistan’s expanding capabilities in aquaculture and Halal-certified fish processing.

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Dr Wassan noted that with steady efforts in policy coordination, trade facilitation, and infrastructure development, especially in cold chain systems and Halal certification, Pakistan has the potential to match or even exceed Vietnam’s seafood exports to Pakistan. He remarked, “Setting an annual export target of $25–30 million within next five years is not only realistic but also strategically advantageous for diversifying Pakistan’s marine export portfolio.”

Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan emphasised the importance of strengthening coordination between Vietnamese and Pakistani stakeholders through regulatory harmonisation and technical cooperation. He reaffirmed Vietnam’s adherence to Halal standards for seafood exports to Pakistan and welcomed deeper institutional collaboration.

Dr Wassan expressed Pakistan’s readiness to enhance bilateral engagement to further develop its fisheries and aquaculture industries, pointing to Vietnam’s success in aquaculture as a valuable model for learning and investment.

Executive Committee Member of the Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association, Asim Abrar noted that while Pakistan has exported raw seafood for over four decades, the country is now making strides in value-added segments such as shrimp farming drawing inspiration from Vietnam’s successful development in this area.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025