In term of volume, the country's seafood export shot up to 198,420 metric tonnes in July-June 2017-18 from 155,091 metric tonnes in July-June 2016-17, higher by 28 percent or 43,329 metric tonnes.
"Healthy landing of shrimp and fish species helped post the record seafood export," President Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association (Stofa), Habibullah Khan Niazi told Business Recorder on Friday. He further added, "The two-month ban on fisheries hunt is crucial to let the seafood export grow in years to come, which should continue for the fisheries sector growth as well."
In June 2018, the country exported $27.047 million of seafood which is 7.31 percent less or down by $2.134 million compared to $29.181 million of seafood exported in June 2017. However, seafood export grew by two percent or 196 metric tonnes to 11,975 metric tonnes in June 2018 from 11,779 metric tonnes in June 2017.
"Around 17 different creeks in Sindh's seawaters pose a perilous threat to the growth of shrimp and fish species from use of banned nets that ravage the breeding and reproduction of the species, resultantly the species population is reducing every year," Habib Niazi said, asking the government to undertake a clampdown to get rid of the worst fishing practices. He hoped that if the two month ban continues, the country will achieve a manifold export growth.