The Sindh government plans to develop a mini fish harbour in Ibrahim Haideri area of Karachi to boost fisheries exports. The livestock and fisheries department has proposed the project. Karachi Fish Habrour was developed to handle 500 fishing boats, but now around 2,500 boats go for fishing in the sea daily. “The present facilities and infrastructure at Karachi Fish Harbour are insufficient to handle such a huge population of fishing boats,” said Dr Hafeez Ahmed Sial, Secretary Fisheries. He said the mini fish harbour in Ibrhaim Haideri area in the coastal belt of Karachi would provide convenience to the fishing boats, which would help fetch more catch for local consumption and exports. In the food sector, fisheries exports come after rice exports, and 90% of the fisheries exports come from Karachi and are mostly supplied to China. Pakistan's fish and fish product exports increased by 15.2% to a record high of $496.3 million during the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2023 as compared to $430.8 million in the previous year, reports Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Sial said that there were more than 1,000 marine water resources within the coastal belt of the province, which can be exploited for fishing activities and increasing the potential of the seafood exports. He said that the provincial government had already undertaken the rehabilitation and renovation of Karachi Fish Harbour. “It is a long-term measure and includes the installation of a firefighting system, sewerage network system, underground water tank and pump room, water tower, external electrical works, roads and stone pitching, CCTV system, boundary wall and rehabilitation of floating pontoons.” He said despite the huge potential, Pakistan lacked appropriate systems to preserve the quality and freshness of its produce. “Qualitative, preserved and frozen sea products will also bring more opportunities in both international and domestic markets. To fulfil all the internationally required quality standards, an upgraded fish harbour is likely to be completed in the port city of Karachi by the end of this year,” he said.

The country’s fisheries exports have been facing ban from the European Union. “The ban has caused immense losses to the fisheries exports sector,” said Zaulfiqar Lark, Director General of Fisheries. He said that the new government had directed the departments concerned to devise an action plan to be taken up with the EU. The EU imposed a ban on fisheries exports from Pakistan several years ago after finding out poor condition of the fishing boats, unhygienic conditions at the Karachi Fish Harbour, use of substandard nets and the alleged lack of international standards at the fish processing units. Lark said that the provincial government was executing various projects to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities as per the EU standards.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan