July 6, 2004

Strategy To Increase Pakistani Shrimp Exports

Tariq Ikram, Chairman of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) stressed the need for chalking out a national road map to promote shrimp farming in Pakistan. He added that besides setting up the new hatcheries, the existing ones should also be revived as the viable business ventures. Furthermore, he suggested efforts to bring in the private sector as a key player in this field so as to promote the shrimp farming purely on commercial basis.

According to a study presented by SMEDA Manager, Naresh Kumar, Pakistan has a coastal line of over 1100 kilometres where 70 % belongs to Baluchistan, and rest situated in Sindh. Marine fisheries sector is the source of employment for the 300,000 fishermen and 400,000 workers in the ancillary industries both in Sindh and Balochistan.

The world is producing about three million tons of shrimps every year, in various types and species out of which around 50% come from the farms. Thailand, Ecuador, Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam and Bangladesh are the major producers of farmed shrimp. The main buyers comprise USA, Japan, Gulf and European Union countries.

The report revealed that the stock of shrimps in Pakistan's sea limits was going to reduce with the passage of time. Thus, in order to meet the increasing demand, shrimps being caught recently were the mangroves with small eye nets, a species which is said to be very dangerous for the eco-system. Catering to the future needs of shrimps, neighbouring countries like India, Bangladesh and Iran have successfully entered into the field of shrimp farming. However, despite having an ideal land for shrimp farming, Pakistan is a bit late in this area, the report added.