Indian seafood processors shut down on fish shortage

About 30 seafood processing factories of Balochistan have completely ceased operations due to shortage of Indian mackerel fish, as the aquatic specie has made exodus from Pakistani waters in the wake of the increasing industrial waste disposal into the Arabian Sea.

According to Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association (Pakfea) chairman M. Faisal Iftikhar, "The country has received very low quantity of the fish, which could be not be more than 10% this winter as compare to the catch of last year." He feared that Pakistan might lag India in the global markets, as its waters have cropped a bumper catch of Indian mackerel.

"Pakistan's 60% fish exports to Far Eastern countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, consist of Indian mackerel," Faisal said. Previously, the country exported between 4,000 and 5,000 containers of the fish during winter, whereas this winter the factories are unable to continue processing in such a huge quantity, he added.

At present, the price of the fish is Rs27 per kg at the local market, as compared to Rs25 to Rs35 per kg during the last winter. Last year, the price of the fish had surged to Rs60 per kg for a short period, he said, adding that its shortage might push it price this year too.