KARACHI, MARCH 17: The ban on Pakistan seafood exports to the European Union (EU) member states has completed one year. Exporters have, however, been trying to nullify the impact of the ban by making shipments to various markets fetching low price as compared to Europe.

They had stopped shipments to the EU after the first week of March, 2007 but the EU had formally suspended fish cargoes from Pakistan on April 12, 2007.

During July to October, 2007, there was huge landing of fish at the harbour but the exporters fetched low price from the buyers in the Middle East and the Far East. Even some shipments were made to Egypt, Lebanon and the US.

In July-January 2007-08 fish exports (barring the EU markets) stood at $106 million as compared to $107 million (including exports to EU) in the same period of 2006-07. Exporters are, however, happy with the situation. “Had EU markets been tapped the July-January figures would have definitely crossed over $130 million,” an exporter said.

Fish export during 2007-08 is likely to reach $150 million only as compared to $184 million in 2006-07, he added.

A spokesman of Pakistan Seafood Industries Association (PSIA), Akhlaq Hussain Abdi, blamed the government officials either sitting in the Economic Mission in Brussels or at the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) in Pakistan for making the Pakistan’s case weak.

He said that Economic Minister of Pakistan at Brussels Tariq Puri negotiated with the EU about the fate of country’s seafood exports but to no avail.

Since then the draft report of the inspection carried out by the EU mission on January 27, 2007 was received by ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal) but the reply sent by the then DG MFD S.Q. Raza was found to be incomplete and not satisfactory.

Later, no more reply was sent to the EU with an action plan by Pakistan to remove the deficiencies pointed out in the report.

He said the industry was not happy with the role of then DG MFD and the Minfal officials for the delay, whereas the Minfal blames the Sindh government for not improving the conditions at the harbour and the boats.

Akhlaq said that after reading through the report it was clear that no deficiency pointed out in the report should take more then a month for its redressal but it was strange that the industry was standing where it was a year ago.

The problem has not been understood and resolved although the Sindh government spent a handsome amount by importing crates and insulated boxes and spent more then Rs40 million on upgrading two existing market halls besides announcing a subsidy of up to 75 per cent for boats upgraded to the level to meet the EU standard.

The industry after losing the EU market of $50-60 million per annum has virtually lost the hope in Minfal and the MFD. He said the export figures during July-Dec 2007 had reduced to half but has started recovering from January 2008.

Market sources said that only three boats had so far been upgraded as per the EU standards so far while there is a huge task ahead to upgrade 700-800 boats.