Need stressed to tap deep sea fishing sector

KARACHI: We have to be a responsible player for fish exports in the International market and in order to cover the big gap of trade deficit we must avail the existing opportunity of food requirement specially in the middle and far east by growing our catch of fishes from deep sea, said economic & financial analyst Ateeq Ur Rehman. He said our fish resources are declining in the marine areas. More than 80 percent of our fish stock has already been lost because of over fishing. He said for recovery of fresh fish stock we have to encourage the fishing in deep sea where fortunately migratory fishes are being registered in abundance. He said aquaculture is again the biggest source of recovery of fish stock which is being promoted in the province of Sindh and Punjab as investment and business. The Province of Punjab has taken a big lead in aquaculture, he said adding they are not only exporting different kind of fish but also catering the local requirement. “We need to work more seriously on it Sindh also, where saline and bore water is also available. The aquaculture expansion is a game changer. On one hand, fish & shrimp farming could be increased and the other hand government it will reduce pressure on sea fishing, boosting high-value exports. ” He said there is a misconception amongst farmers and investors that as fresh water species can easily be produced in landlocked countries; hence they don’t have a big demand in terms of competitive pricing. He clarified that marine water species are in high demand, besides it is a very high profit making business. He said China is the biggest importer of fish from all over the world. He said meeting this high demand can shrink our trade gap, too. Pakistan already exports fish to diversified markets including China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He said the EU and Japan are smaller but high-value markets. Asia absorbs a major share 59 percent, showing strong regional demand. He said the exporters should concentrate massively on this big sector of global requirement. The government is encouraging such investments and exports by improving fisheries and harbours. The banks, financial institution, private sector can select this opportunity of exports of fishes and become a source of narrowing down the big trade deficit and balance of payment gap, he concluded. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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