By Dr Nazia Sher
Pakistan’s fisheries sector has crossed the $500 million export mark, marking a significant milestone in the country’s blue economy trajectory. This achievement is based on official trade statistics reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS, 2025) and supported by international trade data from the International Trade Centre (ITC Trade Map, 2025). During July–December 2025, Pakistan exported 122,629 metric tonnes of fish and seafood worth $253.24 million, compared with 102,942 tonnes worth $208.25 million in the same period last year. This represents a 19.1% increase in volume and a 21.6% increase in value, indicating not only higher export quantities but also improved earnings per unit, reflecting gradual improvements in market positioning and product quality.
This growth is primarily driven by improvements in regulatory compliance, export quality standards, and institutional support mechanisms. The Marine Fisheries Department has played an important role in strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) compliance and HACCP certification systems, enabling Pakistani seafood to meet increasingly strict international import requirements. At the global level, the Food and Agriculture Organization notes that fisheries sectors experience sustained export growth when compliance systems, traceability, and value-chain efficiency are strengthened, which aligns with Pakistan’s recent performance trends.
In terms of export destinations, China remains the largest importer of Pakistani seafood, accounting for approximately 83,602 tonnes worth $149.2 million, or nearly 59% of total exports according to PBS and ITC Trade Map data. Thailand follows as a key market for shrimp and prawns valued at $31.3 million, while the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Japan represent growing secondary markets. Emerging destinations such as the European Union, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Kuwait, and the United States also reflect gradual diversification. This pattern indicates that while Pakistan is still heavily dependent on China, its export base is slowly expanding, which reduces market concentration risk and improves long-term trade stability.
Despite this progress, the structure of Pakistan’s fisheries exports remains dominated by low-value primary products. Frozen fish accounts for 26,669 tonnes worth $53.33 million, followed by shrimps and prawns worth $40.46 million and frozen cuttlefish worth $36.13 million. According to FAO (2024) and World Bank (2023) assessments, such export structures reflect limited value addition and underdeveloped processing capacity, which restrict export earnings despite increasing production volumes. Compared with global competitors such as Vietnam, Norway, and China, Pakistan continues to export a relatively high share of unprocessed or semi-processed seafood.
To address this structural gap, the planned seafood processing and export zone at Korangi Fisheries Harbour represents an important policy intervention. This project, reported in Government of Pakistan development planning documents (2025), is estimated at $60–80 million and is expected to include 20–25 processing units, modern cold storage facilities ranging from –18°C to –40°C, ice production systems, and packaging infrastructure. If effectively implemented, this initiative could support a shift from raw commodity exports towards value-added seafood production, which is essential for increasing foreign exchange earnings and improving global competitiveness.
International market recognition has also supported Pakistan’s export performance. According to NOAA-related compliance assessments reported in Arab News (2025), Pakistan’s fisheries sector has maintained adherence to international marine and seafood import standards, enabling continued access to the United States market. This compliance-based access is significant because modern seafood trade increasingly depends on traceability, sustainability standards, and sanitary compliance rather than production volume alone, as highlighted by FAO (2024).
However, despite these improvements, Pakistan’s fisheries sector still faces structural challenges that limit its global competitiveness. FAO (2024) and World Bank (2023) reports highlight persistent issues such as low aquaculture productivity, weak cold chain infrastructure, limited value addition, and fragmented governance systems. These constraints prevent the sector from fully converting production gains into high-value export growth.
To sustain and accelerate current momentum, Pakistan needs to focus on expanding modern aquaculture systems such as biofloc, cage farming, and integrated fish farming models, as recommended by FAO. Investment in cold chain logistics, processing facilities, and seafood branding is also essential for improving export value. In addition, diversification towards high-value markets such as the United States, European Union, and Japan will be critical for long-term stability. Strong institutional coordination under a unified blue economy framework, as emphasised by the World Bank (2023), is necessary to align policy, regulation, and investment strategies.
Pakistan’s fisheries exports crossing the $500 million threshold is an important milestone, but it should be viewed as the beginning of a longer transformation process rather than its completion. The sector is showing clear signs of growth and international integration; however, its structure remains largely dependent on low-value exports. The key challenge ahead is not just to increase export volume, but to transform the fisheries sector into a competitive, value-added, and globally integrated industry capable of sustained growth in the international seafood market.
(The writer is a research associate at the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) Pakistan. The views expressed are her own. She can be reached at editorial@metro-morning.com)
