Islamabad:
Pakistan is ready to get $ 200 million from the export of tuna in the coming years due to a revision of the industry.
The federal minister of maritime affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, has announced that Pakistan’s tuna sector has been set to a boost of $ 200 million after global quota distributions and regulatory reforms.
For the first time, Pakistan has secured a tuna fishing -quota of 25,000 tonnes from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), consisting of 15,000 tonnes of yellowfin tuna and 10,000 tonnes of ski jack -tun, according to an official press release. These quotas are in line with climate competition fishing management principles aimed at protecting sea biodium and reducing the pressure on sea ecosystems.
“This is a landmark performance that promises considerable currency earnings,” the minister said. “With international prices for these tuna species, ranging between $ 5 and $ 7 per kg, and potentially higher with value added treatment, the economic potential is huge.”
Chaudhry called the development “a turning point for Pakistan’s tuna sector”, Chaudhry noted that although the country is currently catching more than 45,000 tonnes of tuna every year, much of this high value resource has escaped the formal economy due to unregulated operations.
To capture the full economic value of the resource, the Minister emphasized that “a number of reforms have been launched”, including the introduction of national fishing and aquaculture policy aimed at uniting fragmented regulatory frameworks while promoting environmental sound and revenue -generating fishing techniques.
“This political framework supports Pakistan’s obligations under international climate and marine conservation agreements,” the federal minister said.
He also announced an important milestone for Pakistan and noted that for the first time in the 28-year-old history of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), a senior official from the Pakistan Ministry of Maritime Affairs has been elected chairman of its Standing Committee on Administration and Finance, a significant step in strengthening Pakistan’s role in Global Tunrulance.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is an intergovernmental body that includes countries with 30 members created under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Its mandate is to control tuna and related species in the Indian Ocean by promoting sustainable use through scientific research, quota distribution and regulatory framework.
As part of broader adaptation efforts, the minister said that destructive fishing methods such as Gillnetting and Trawl have been phased out, replaced with more selective and environmentally friendly long -line techniques.
“This transition reduces by -catch and supports sea health in the light of climate -driven stress factors such as heating water and changing migration patterns,” he added.
FAO has supported this initiative by providing 10 longline fishing sets for free for demonstration purposes to local fisheries communities. This transition is expected to increase the product value from an average of $ 2 to $ 8 per day. Kg, the minister noted.
He stated that further reforms included the audit of certification and test fees for exporting seafood, resulting in an increase in revenue from RS48 million to RS250 million. In addition, infrastructure initiatives have been launched, including the revitalization of Korangi Fisheries Harbor with the construction of a new auction hall and a floating jetty, aimed at improving tuna and increasing exports, especially to the European Union.
The Minister stated that Pakistan’s tuna sector is now at the threshold of a major financial shift. With quotas secured, regulatory reforms in progress, and international cooperation is growing, the country is ready to become a key player in the global tuna trade, introducing a new era with sustainable growth and foreign exchange to the fishing sector.
