Fishries in pakistan

 

Introduction

Fisheries as a subsector of agriculture, plays a significant role in the national economy and towards food security of the country. Fisheries contribute directly to food supplies, a source of livelihood for the coastal inhabitants, export earnings and boosting the economy (Ahmed N. , 2017). Fishing in Pakistan accounts for less than one percent of the GDP, but it still plays a crucial role in developing the economy of Pakistan by providing employment to a significant number of people residing in impoverished societies and backward regions of Balochistan and Sindh (Khan, 2020). In 2020, exports of fisheries were estimated to be 373.392 million dollars which represented 1.6% of the total exports of Pakistan. Fishery plays an important role in the domestic economy.

The major 10 importing countries of Pakistan for Fisheries are Thailand, China, Vietnam, UAE, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Kuwait, Japan, Saudi Arabia, & Indonesia. Over the years, Pakistan’s fish imports have almost declined from 22 million in 2017 to 6 million in 2020.The marine fisheries sector is the main category contributing about 64 % as compared to inland which contributes 36% in terms of production. Marine fish is concentrated in the southern part of Pakistan including Sindh and Balochistan and inland fish is found in Sindh, Punjab and KPK including

Gilgit-Balistan. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan FY2020-21, the fishing sector has a share of 2.01 percent in agriculture value addition and 0.39 percent in GDP. The growth of fishing was 5.75% in FY2015 however it has declined over the year and the current FY2020-21(P) growth is reported to be 0.73% (Survey, 2020-21). Fishery products are one of the most traded foods and feed commodities all over the world. Global food fish consumption has increased at an average annual rate of 3.1 percent from 1961 to 2017, a rate almost twice that of annual world population growth (1.6 percent) for the same period, and higher than that of all other animal protein foods (meat, dairy, milk, etc.), which has increased by 2.1 percent per year (FAO, 2020). Pakistan has many marine and inland fishery resources. The commercially important resources include nearly 250 demersal fish species, 50 small pelagic fish species, 15 medium-sized pelagic species and 20 large pelagic fish species. In addition to this, there are also 15 commercial species of shrimp, 12 of cephalopods and 5 of lobster. Fisheries: Potential of Pakistan 2

Chapter 2.

 Fish production in Pakistan On the coast of Pakistan, there are more than 30 species of shrimps, 10 species of crabs, five species of lobster and about 70 commercial species of fish including Sardine, Hilsa, Shark, Mackerel, Butterfish, Pomfret, Sole, Tuna, Sea Bream, Jew Fish, Cat Fish and Eel (Ahmed A. , 2006). Fisheries are mainly categorized in three types’ Inland fisheries, Marine fisheries, and fisheries through aquaculture1 . Figure 3 shows the production of fish in Pakistan across the provinces for the year 2018-19. In Pakistan, fish is mainly caught from marine and inland sources alongside the coastlines of Sindh and Balochistan2 . Figure 1 Fish Production province-wise Source: Ministry of Food and Security The total fish production in thousand tonnes for the year 2018-19 is given in the figure 1. In Punjab and KPK, there are only inland fishes, in Balochistan, marine fishes are found whereas in Sindh both Inland and Marine fishes are found. The data for Punjab includes fish production in Mangla Dam and the data for KPK also includes fish production in Gilgit-Balistan. 1

Balochistan Fish Production-Province-Wise 2018-19 (000Tonnes) Inland Marine Fisheries: Potential of Pakistan 3 Figure 2 Fish Production by type Source: Ministry of Food and Security Marine has always remained high as compared to inland production in Pakistan. The trend for fish production can be seen in Figure 2 which shows the inland and marine fish production has remained almost stagnant for a period of almost two decades from 2000 to 2019 for both categories of fish production.

 The detailed data of fish production for inland and marine fish across provinces, types and over years is given in annexure I and Annexure II in the end. 2.1 Aquaculture Production Aquaculture farming seems to have gained tremendous popularity among local investors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). This type of fishing practice refers to freshwater farming where fish is considered to be a crop, like sugarcane or maize. Table 1 shows comparison of aquaculture production of Pakistan with some of the Asian countries and it can be seen that production of Pakistan is low as compared to other countries. According to FAO, United Nations China has the highest 47 million aquaculture production among other Asian countries and there is a regular increase in the production. India stands at 2nd followed by Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Pakistan has increased its aquaculture manifold from 12,000 tons in the year 2000 to 159,000 tons in 2018. 517 282 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Fish Production (2000 to 2018-19) 000 Tonnes Marine Fish Production Inland Fish Production Fisheries: Potential of Pakistan 4 Table 1 Comparison of Aquaculture Production Aquaculture Fish Production in Regions (000 tonnes) Region/selected countries 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2018 Pakistan 14.8 12.5 80.6 140.1 151.2 159.1 China 15,855.7 21,522.1 28,120.7 35,513.4 43,748.2 47,559.1 India 1,658.8 1,942.5 2,967.4 3,785.8 5,260 7,066 Indonesia 641.1 788.5 1,197.1 2,304.8 4,342.5 5,426.9 VietNam 381.1 498.5 1437.3 2,683.1 3,462.4 4134 Bangladesh 317.1 657.1 882.1 1,308.5 2,060.4 2,405.4 Source: FAO, 2019 Aquaculture is slowly gaining momentum in Pakistan with hatcheries of different species of crustaceans (mostly shrimps) opening up in Karachi.

The province of KP has immense potential for trout cultivation where government has provided open support towards its cultivation but these are not for export purposes. 2.2 Capture and Aquaculture Fish Production by categories The below figures 3 & 4 show aquaculture-Inland production and capture production by different types. Roho, different types of carps, catla, cyprinids, and fresh water fish are among the top aquaculture production category in Pakistan as shown in figure 3. Fisheries: Potential of Pakistan 5 Figure 3 Aquaculture Production Source: FAOSTAT Figure 4 indicates the types of capture production of more than 10,000 tons in Pakistan. Indian oil sardine, Indian mackerel, Clupeoids, croakers and others are among the top captures production in Pakistan. 46,233 29,142 26,444 26,444 25,632 3,210 3,085 Aquaculture Production by Type Roho labeo Asia - Inland waters Mrigal carp Asia - Inland waters Grass carp(=White amur) Asia - Inland waters Silver carp Asia - Inland waters Catla Asia - Inland waters Cyprinids nei Asia - Inland waters Freshwater fishes nei Asia - Inland waters Aquaculture Production Fisheries: Potential of Pakistan 6 Figure 4 Capture Production Source: FAOSTAT Chapter 3. Processing for Value Addition of Fisheries Products 3.1 Process Flow:

In order to make value added products of seafood following process is followed. However, there are certain specifications for various categories of fishes. This below diagram shows the detailed processing of Surimi and Cuttlefish only. Figure 5 Process Flow Diagram Source: Qadri Noori Enterprise 144,122 39,588 35,989 33,842 23,789 16,138 12,526 12,151 10,760 10,372 Capture Production by Type Indian oil sardine Indian Ocean, Western Indian mackerel Indian Ocean, Western Clupeoids nei Indian Ocean, Western Marine fishes nei Indian Ocean, Western Croakers, drums nei Indian Ocean, Western Largehead hairtail Indian Ocean, Western Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel Indian Ocean, Western Mullets nei Indian Ocean, Western Threadfin breams nei Indian Ocean, Western Capture Production Fillet Making Weighing Pakaging Temperature Control Quality check Washing Cutting Fisheries: Potential of Pakistan 7 The overall process includes a quality check of caught fish in terms of weight and temperature, three-times washing, and cutting of fish. Cuttlefish requires manual scrapping of scales whereas the surimi involves end-to-end machine processing. The chiller machines called IQF (Individual Quick Freezing Machine) are used to make cuttlefish frozen followed by subsequent immersion in ice water, this process brings shine and color to the Cuttlefish.

 The processing of Cuttlefish involves value-addition as it is peeled off and made into fillets for export. Metal detectors are used to scrap out any piece of metal in fish, and a range of other small processors. As a result of processing, blocks of minced meat are produced each weighing 10 kg that goes later for packages. Each cartel carries a maximum of 2 blocks. Surimi is exported to Vietnam and other destinations where it is used in making food products like spring rolls, nuggets, and fish balls. Reverse Osmosis Plant is required at this stage that regulates the supply and suction of water. Ice Making Factory meets the everyday need of chilling and freezing fish. 3.2 Machineries Required for Value Addition Process: The modern machines used by the top fish and seafood exporters of Pakistan for value addition are given in table 2. This is the ideal scenario but most of the exporters are using traditional and labor intensive methods.

Table 2 Machineries used for Processing Machineries Fish Meat Separator Individual Quick Freezing Machine (IQF) Icing Machine Metal Detector Machine Contact Plate Freezer Machine for Chilling Source: Qadri Noori Enterprises Fisheries: Potential of Pakistan 8 Chapter 4. Exports & Imports of Fisheries of Pakistan Figure 6 shows the imports and exports of Pakistan for fish and aquatic animals from the year 2010 to 2020. The trade surplus has remained in an increasing trend over the years except for the Covid19 year 2020. Pakistan’s exports of Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates to the world has remained quite higher than its imports from the world which is a positive sign. Figure 6 Total Imports and Exports at HS-02 Source: ITC, Trade Map 4.1 Top 10 Importers and Exporters of Pakistan Among the top importers of Pakistani fish and aquatic products are Thailand, China, Vietnam, UAE, and Korea, followed by Malaysia, Kuwait, Japan, Saudi Arabia, & Indonesia. Some of the top importers are also among the top 10 exporting countries to Pakistan like Thailand, Vietnam, China, etc. The values in table 3 are calculated on the average exported value from the year 2015 to 2020.