A sizeable growth in fisheries landing in the new season is expected to spur Pakistan’s shrinking seafood export as the boats owners seek an increase in hunting restrictions to help rejuvenate marine species. The boats owners ask the government to extend the fishing ban period for three months (May, June and July) in summers and two months (December and January) in winters to help grow the fish and shrimp. The official ban on fishing during June and July 2016 has been seen as helpful for fisheries growth, bringing hopes to the fishermen and other stakeholders about the export rise. “It is a better catch landing this season as compared to the catch of last season,” President Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association, Habibullah Khan Niazi told Business Recorder on Wednesday. He said that the five months ban on fishing would be beneficial to the fishermen and exporters in term of earnings. “The increased ban will also help the fisheries species to attain their natural growth,” he said, adding that the flow of catch landing was ‘good’. “Seafood processing units are also getting good supplies after a halt of few months,” he said. However, President Native Islanders Fishermen Association (Nifa), Asif Bhatti showed disappointment over the two months fishing ban, saying that “the ban helped nothing to improve the fishing catch”. He termed the catch size and quantity was as usual. “There are many other reasons that are scaling down the fisheries growth including marine pollution and use of banned fishing nets,” he said. Pakistan’s seafood export slumped to $10.999 million in the first month of the new fiscal year 2016-17, down by 38 percent. Fall in seafood export stands at $6.586 million in July 2016 as compared to the fisheries export of $17.585 million in July 2015-16, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics shows. Seafood export volume in July 2016-17 declined 33 percent or 2397 metric tons to 4,877 metric tons from 7,274 metric tons in July 2015-16. On a monthly basis, seafood export plummeted 43.27 percent or $8.99 million in July 2016 from $19.989 million in July 2015. Seafood export, in term of quantity, reduced 43.06 percent or 3688 metric tons in July 2016 from 8,565 metric tons in July 2015.
2016 Business Recorder.