Seafood exports to record $200 million despite EU ban

[Naveed Yaseen]

Despite the ban on seafood export by European Union (EU), Pakistan has earned US$200 million through export to other countries this year, which is a record production.

Last year Pakistan had earned US$188 million through seafood export, Fishermen’s Cooperative Society (FCS) Administrator, Mohammed Jaffar Khwaja said. Accusing former governments of playing negligent role, the FCS administrator said the present government is making efforts to achieve the target of increasing 35 per cent export next year. Khwaja was addressing an inaugural ceremony of free medical camp held at coastal Town of Keti Bunder, organised by the FCS on Tuesday.

He said the government is trying to hire services of experts to achieve the target of seafood export. According to him, the ban by the EU states over the Pakistani seafood was not a positive sign and the authorities concerned should take it seriously to follow its (EU) recommendations.

He assured the participants that he will convey reservations of the community people against the issuance of licenses to deep sea trawlers by the federal government, which have wiped out fish stocks in the marine waters. He said the FCS will approach the local parliamentarians to initiate uplift schemes from their own funds for the well being of the community people, residing in their constituencies. Meanwhile, during the medical camp doctors provided free medicines to the area people.

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