Pakistan's seafood exports hit record $568mn in FY26

Pakistan’s exports of fish and fish preparations reached a record $568 million during fiscal year 2025-26.

In a statement on Thursday, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry.

In a statement, the minister said the milestone reflected the government’s commitment to strengthening the blue economy, expanding seafood exports and ensuring compliance with international food safety and quality standards.

“Frozen fish remains the leading export commodity with earnings of $105.09mn, followed by frozen squid and cuttlefish ($103.71mn), fish meal ($83.12mn), shrimps ($62.14mn), crabs ($36.89mn), sardines ($30.62mn), mackerels ($22.67mn), flat fish ($17.24mn), octopus ($15.18mn) and minced fish meat (surimi) ($14.63mn),” he said.

READ MORE: Pakistan’s seafood exports cross $500mn milestone for first time

He shared that seafood exports were shipped mainly to China, Thailand, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Indonesia and the United States.

“The record performance had been achieved despite disruptions to regional trade and maritime logistics caused by the evolving situation in the Gulf region, underscoring the resilience of the fisheries sector and the commitment of exporters and regulatory institutions,” Chaudhry said.

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening quality assurance systems, diversifying export destinations, promoting value addition and enhancing the global competitiveness of the fisheries industry.

“A performance review ceremony will be held soon to recognise the top 10 fisheries exporters with certificates of appreciation to be presented by the prime minister،” he added.

Pakistan’s seafood exports have shown fluctuating trends but have recently achieved significant milestones, despite facing various challenges such as international bans, overfishing, and raw material shortages.

Seafood exports reached $489.2 million, marking a 20.5% increase from the previous year’s $406 million. The export volume hit a historic high of 242,484 metric tons. This was the second-highest value ever, just shy of the FY23 record.

Later data for the same fiscal year (FY24-25) shows exports closed at $465.4 million, an 11.44% rise year-on-year, with a record volume of 216,350 metric tons. This means it fell short of the $500 million target for that year