Despite a winter slowdown in fishing, the country fetched $210.664 million of seafood export during July-January 2017, harbour officials said on Friday. Seafood export grows by 11 percent or $20.184 million in July-January 2017 from $190.480 million in July-January 2016, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. "Except for the recent slowdown in fishing, there is no halt in catch landing that has been greater this fiscal year," the official said.

In term of quantity, seafood export went up to 77,768 metric tons in July-January 2017 from 71,882 metric tons in July-January 2016, up by 8.28 percent or 5,886 metric tons. In January 2017, seafood export surged by 12.48 percent or $3.02 million to $27.214 million from $24.194 million in January 2016. Seafood export quantity mounted to 10,254 metric tons in January 2017 from 8,707 metric tons in January 2016, up by 18 percent or 1547 metric tons. "At present there is a problem of a slight crew shortage and winter winds which reduced the fishing to an extent. Overall fishing goes on unabated," the officials said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017