Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) has said that Pakistan could make a quantum leap in exports by upgrading its marine fisheries sector in collaboration with China. PCJCCI President Shah Faisal Afridi stated this while addressing a meeting of the Chamber's think tank that was also attended by other office bearers and the executive committee members. He said that SMEDA had developed a viable strategy for development of marine fisheries sector during its initial operational phase, but the strategy could not be implemented fully because of the political turmoil.
Now, keeping in view the sea potential of Gwadar and China-Pak Economic Corridor, the marine fishing sector needs urgent up-gradation, for which Chinese methods of fishing and fish processing technology can be highly useful, he said. He offered to bring Chinese expertise and investment in fisheries sector in case the government assures hand-holding coupled with conducive policies. Some Chinese companies had already evinced their interest to enter into joint ventures for making modern boats, sheds, and ice for marine fisheries.
PCJCCI Senior Vice President Ahmed Hasnain said that the Chinese way of fisheries development may curb illiteracy among fishermen by transferring modern technology for preserving and processing marine fisheries, which will ultimately bring prosperity to the fishermen by enhancing the competitiveness of our fisheries sector in the world market.
He further said that over 90 percent of the fishermen community was illiterate and still following the centuries old method of "feel and see" for catching fish. He said, they take their wooden hull boats in the shallow water, throw their nets and leave it to the nature for getting fish. Hence, most of the time they have to stay in the water for a week and return with very little or nothing at all, he said.
He stressed the need for replacing the primitive methods with modern techniques by equipping the fishermen with the modern navigation system to discriminate between the edible and trash fish apart from identifying species and size of the different fish.
Speaking on this occasion, secretary general Salahuddin Hanif said that China is one of the largest seafood-consuming countries in the world. The total volume of frozen seafood processing industry in China is up to $60.2 billion with the imports accounting for 11.7 percent of the domestic demand, he said adding that the fisheries and allied industrial operations in Pakistan were the most important economic activities along the coast of Sindh and Baluchistan by supporting livelihood of about one million fishermen and their families living in rural villages under difficult conditions. He said the situation needs urgent attention of the government to revamp the sector for enhancing exports and improving livelihood of the local fishermen.
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