KARACHI: Official trade data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has presented a markedly different picture from the federal government’s widely publicised claim of record seafood exports, confirming that Pakistan earned USD482.078 million from seafood exports in FY2025-26 instead of the USD568 million announced earlier by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.
The difference of nearly USD86 million has prompted questions within the fisheries industry over the use of preliminary estimates in official announcements, with exporters and former fisheries officials urging greater coordination between the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to ensure that future public statements are based on verified trade data.
When Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced that Pakistan’s seafood exports had reached a historic USD568 million, the figure was widely reported by newspapers, television channels and digital media as evidence of the government’s Blue Economy reforms and expanding access to international markets.
READ MORE: Pakistan’s seafood exports hit record $568mn in FY26
The Marine Fisheries Department subsequently described the performance as a historic milestone, attributing the growth to reforms introduced by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the expansion of exports to China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the United States.
The department also highlighted frozen fish as Pakistan’s leading seafood export.
However, the final trade statistics compiled by the PBS present a more moderate picture of the sector’s performance, indicating that Pakistan exported 215,170.296 metric tons of fish and fish preparations worth USD482.078 million during FY2025-26, compared with 216,482 metric tons valued at USD 465.4 million during the previous fiscal year.
While export earnings increased by around 4 percent, export volume declined by about 1 percent, showing a modest year-on-year growth rather than the exceptional increase suggested by the earlier announcement.
The monthly figures tell a similar story. During June 2026, Pakistan exported 15,770.296 metric tons of fish and fish preparations worth approximately USD36.7 million, compared with about USD 51.9 million in May 2026 and around USD38 million in June 2025. Compared with May, exports declined by 33.61 percent in quantity and 29.10 percent in value. Compared with June last year, export volume fell 11.25 percent, while export earnings slipped 3.31 percent.
Industry officials believe the difference arose because the minister was briefed using preliminary export estimates. Several senior sector officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the figures presented publicly appeared to have been drawn from export certifications or projected shipments instead of completed exports, resulting in an overly optimistic assessment of the sector’s performance.
Former Director General of the Marine Fisheries Department, Israr Pathan said the discrepancy reflected longstanding weaknesses in the way seafood export data is compiled and communicated.
“The system is entirely broken when it comes to presenting authentic seafood export statistics without overstatement. Unless the actual figures are accurately reflected, it becomes impossible to identify the real causes of stagnation and formulate effective policies to achieve sustainable growth and stability.”
Pathan explained that the Marine Fisheries Department’s figures are based on export certificates issued before consignments are shipped. Those certificates indicate intended exports rather than shipments that have actually been completed. By contrast, the PBS compiles its figures from completed trade transactions, making it the country’s final authority on export statistics.
According to him, this difference in methodology largely explains the divergence between the two sets of figures. “Everyone wants to show performance on paper without realising that the ground reality is moving in the opposite direction.”
He said stronger institutional coordination and improved reporting mechanisms were needed to prevent similar discrepancies in the future.
According to official PBS statistics, seafood exports during the first eleven months of FY2025-26 totalled roughly USD445 million. For annual exports to reach the USD568 million target announced by the ministry, June alone would have required more than USD122 million, which is far above any monthly performance previously recorded by Pakistan’s seafood sector. Instead, the PBS recorded seafood exports of about USD36.7 million during the month.
Pakistan’s fisheries industry supports hundreds of thousands of livelihoods and contributes significantly to the coastal economy. Industry representatives argue that international buyers, financial institutions and trade partners rely on official trade data when assessing export performance, making consistency and accuracy particularly important.
One leading seafood exporter said that when overseas buyers compare government announcements with the final figures released by the PBS, questions may arise regarding the consistency of the country’s official trade statistics.
According to the exporter, confidence remains one of the most valuable assets in international trade and is strengthened when official information is consistent across institutions.
The fisheries sector continues to face structural challenges, including overfishing, illegal fishing, post-harvest losses, shortages of raw material and underutilised seafood processing capacity.
Exporters say sustained growth will depend on addressing these issues through practical policy measures and continued market development.
Historical trade data also points to gradual rather than exceptional growth. Seafood exports were valued at USD496.3 million in FY2022-23 before declining to USD410.3 million in FY2023-24. Earnings recovered to USD465.4 million in FY2024-25 and increased further to USD482.078 million in FY2025-26, representing growth of around 3.6 percent over the previous year.
Export volumes have likewise remained relatively stable. Pakistan exported 214,367 metric tons in FY2022-23, 200,709 metric tons in FY2023-24, 216,350 metric tons in FY2024-25 and 215,170 metric tons during FY2025-26.
Industry observers said that the latest difference appears to stem from the distinction between preliminary certification data maintained by the Marine Fisheries Department and the final trade statistics compiled by the PBS.
A closer coordination between the two institutions would help ensure that future public announcements accurately reflect verified national trade performance.
Exporters stress that the verified the figure of USD482.078 million represents genuine progress despite difficult trading conditions and persistent structural constraints.
In their view, the sector’s achievements do not require embellishment. They argue that presenting verified statistics strengthens Pakistan’s credibility in international markets, provides policymakers with a clearer assessment of industry performance and offers a more reliable foundation for future export planning.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026