Islamabad: Pakistan’s fish and seafood exports surged by 74.4 percent in value during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, reaching $125.4 million compared to $71.9 million over the last two fiscal years, according to Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry. The increase highlights the economic potential of the marine fisheries sector as Pakistan aims to expand its blue economy.
According to Press Information Department, Junaid Chaudhry noted that the export volume also increased by 74.8 percent over a three-year period, with the figures rising from 35,294 metric tonnes in the first quarter of 2024-25 to 61,679 metric tonnes in the same quarter of 2026-27. The minister emphasized that both the value and volume of fish exports have grown significantly over the past three years, with export earnings keeping pace with the increase in volume.
The fisheries sector is a vital part of Pakistan’s coastal economy, providing livelihoods to fishing communities and generating foreign exchange. The minister acknowledged the Marine Fisheries Department’s record export earnings of $568 million during the fiscal year 2025-26 and noted the opening of new international markets, including Russia, for Pakistani fisheries products as a significant achievement. Recent initiatives to resume shrimp exports to the United States and reviving the fishing licensing regime in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone are expected to promote sustainable marine resource utilization.
Chaudhry stressed the importance of addressing institutional and technical challenges to enhance exports to international seafood markets, particularly the European Union. He also called for the revival of the Fisheries Training Centre to bolster human-resource capacity and improve compliance with international seafood safety standards. Strengthening the skills of various stakeholders in the fisheries supply chain could enhance the quality and competitiveness of Pakistani seafood in global markets.
The minister reiterated his commitment to modernizing the fisheries sector by promoting sustainable marine resource utilization, expanding international market access, and increasing the sector’s contribution to the national economy.