Fish, seafood exports hit $125m

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said in a statement on Monday that fish and seafood exports rose 74.4 per cent during the opening quarter of 2026-27. Earnings reached $125.4 million, compared with $71.9 million across the previous two fiscal years, The Express Tribune reported.

Volume went from 35,294 tonnes in Q1 of 2024-25 to 61,679 tonnes in Q1 of 2026-27, a rise of 74.8 per cent over three years. The 2025-26 quarter sat in between, with 43,995 tonnes and $93.28 million in exports. The minister said both value and volume grew substantially, with earnings growing at a similar pace to volume.

Chaudhry credited the Marine Fisheries Department with export earnings hitting a high of $568 million in FY2025-26. He also pointed to new markets such as Russia, efforts to resume shrimp exports to the United States, and a revived fishing licensing regime in the Exclusive Economic Zone. He called for removing bottlenecks to reach European Union markets and for reviving the Fisheries Training Centre.