RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI: The two months continuing fishing ban is anticipated to yield a bumper crop of shrimp as fishermen see a bulk seafood landing with good prices on the local market.
Karachi fish harbour officials ruled out abortion of the two months ban, saying that the new fishing season will begin with the deadline ending on Aug 1, 2017. They said that penalties have been imposed on ban violators after found involved in selling shrimp at the harbour despite the restriction.
"Catch of all three main species of shrimp - jera, kalri and kiddi are expected to land in bulk volume with fishing seasons starting on Aug 1," President Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association (Stofa), Habibullah Khan Niazi told Business Recorder on Wednesday.
He said that the bulk volume of seafood catch especially the shrimp species is expected to give rise to their prices but will also help the country fetch big fisheries export. However, he showed concerns over the weak implementation of ban by the Sindh government across the creeks where shrimp hunting continues despite the ban.
"Creeks are the only and primary hatcheries from shrimp breeding in the province where lack of ban on hunting is visible," he said, fearing the shrimp reproduction is feared to receive a setback with scaling back of population in the country's seas.
He pointed out that tiger shrimp is likely to find a good rate on the world market if attained its size. The country's seafood export shot up to $364.906 million in July-May 2016-17, up by 19.45 percent, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics says.
Growth in seafood export comes to $59.42 million in July-May 2016-17 from $305.486 million in July-May 2015-16. In term of volume, seafood export jumped by 18 percent or 58, 941 metric tons to 140,747 metric tons in July-May 2016-17 from 199,688 metric tons in July-May 2015-16.
In May 2017, seafood export surged by 38 percent or $13.199 million to $47.986 million from $34.787 million in May 2016. Seafood export quantity grew by 37.37 percent or 5359 metric tons to 19,698 metric tons in May 2017 from 14,339 metric tons in May 2016.
