Islamabad:
Pakistan is about to gain $ 200 million in tuna export in the coming years due to a recasting of industry.
Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, announced that the Pakistani tuna sector is planned for an increase of $ 200 million following global allowances for quota and regulatory reforms.
For the first time, Pakistan obtained a tuna fishing quota of 25,000 metric tonnes from the Indian Ocean Commission (IOTC), comprising 15,000 tonnes of yellow tuna and 10,000 tonnes of Skipjack tuna, according to an official press release. These quotas are aligned with the principles of fisheries management concerned with the climate aimed at protecting marine biodiversity and reducing pressure on ocean ecosystems.
“This is a historic achievement that promises major exchange income,” said the minister. “With the international prices of these tuna species varying between $ 5 and $ 7 per kilogram, and potentially higher with value -added treatment, the economic potential is enormous.”
Calling the development “A turning point for the Pakistan tuna sector”, Chaudhry noted that although the country currently catches more than 45,000 metric tuna tonnes each year, a large part of this high -value resource has escaped the formal economy due to unregulated operations.
To seize the full economic value of the resource, the Minister stressed that “a series of reforms has been launched”, including the introduction of the national fisheries and aquaculture policy, aimed at unifying fragmented regulatory frameworks while promoting fishing techniques in environmental environment and income generators.
“This political framework supports Pakistan’s obligations under international climate and navy conservation agreements,” said the federal minister.
He also announced an important step for Pakistan, noting that for the first time in 28 years of history of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), a senior official of the Pakistani Ministry of Maritime Affairs was elected president of his permanent administration and finance committee, an important stage in the strengthening of the role of Pakistan in the governance of the world tuna.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is an intergovernmental body comprising 30 member countries, established under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its mandate is to manage tuna and related species in the Indian Ocean by promoting sustainable use through scientific research, distribution of quotas and regulatory executives.
As part of wider adaptation efforts, the Minister said that destructive fishing methods such as gelnets and trawling are being suppressed, replaced by longer selective and environmentally friendly liaison techniques.
“This transition reduces accessory sockets and supports the health of oceans in the face of climate-focused stressors such as warming water and the evolution of migration models,” he added.
FAO supported this initiative by providing 10 free online fishing kits for free demonstration purposes for local fishermen’s communities. This transition is expected to increase the value of the product by an average of $ 2 to $ 8 per kilogram, noted the minister.
He said new reforms have included the revision of certification and test costs for seafood exports, resulting in an increase in income of 48 million rupees to 250 million rupees. In addition, infrastructure initiatives have been launched, in particular the revitalization of the port of Korangi Fisheries with the construction of a new auction and floating shower room, aimed at improving tuna landings and stimulating exports, in particular to the European Union.
The Minister said that the Pakistan tuna sector is now standing at the threshold for a major economic change. With secure quotas, current regulatory reforms and international growth in cooperation, the country is about to become a key player in world tuna trade, inaugurating a new era of sustainable growth and exchange generation for the fishing sector.
