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Pak seafood
export declines by 12pc
KARACHI-Country's seafood export
has suffered a decline of 12 per cent in the first eight
months of current fiscal year mainly because of the fallout of
9-11 incidents, the exporters say. Official figures put the
July-February 2002 seafood export at US $88 million compared
to US $100 million last year. Exporters and concerned
fisheries officials hold 9-11 incidents responsible for the
decline.
"The incidents had a very negative impact on Pak seafood
export as it affected our market in the US and Europe",
President All Pakistan Seafood Industries Association, Hanif
Khan told The News. He said as the security measures were
tightened in the wake of 9-11 incidents, exporters were unable
to get visas for business purposes.
Pakistan exported $137.7 million of seafood last year raising
the exporters' hope that the country would cross the previous
year's figures and touch $200 million mark in this fiscal
year, but now they spell out fear saying the country would
hardly be able to touch the $140 million mark. "I fear we may
not be able to cross even $140 million mark this year as the
major importers of Pak seafood have not yet brought the prices
of about all the valued species to normal which they had cut
in the wake of 9-11 incidents", Khan said.
Khan informed that the Middle East buyers were buying their
product at usual rates during that period while those of the
US and Europe had cut the prices of a number of valued species
making the Pak exports to suffer immensely. The prices of
large shrimp have declined by $2 a kilo while small size kiddi
(PUD) slipped down by 10 cents in just one month. Large size
shrimp was being exported at $16.50 a kilogram, but now its
price has declined to $14.50 a kilo. However, Khan said the
buyers were now bringing the prices back to normal level.
Local prices of shrimps have also declined in response to fall
in export prices and large size shrimp is being sold at Rs300
per kilo compared to Rs450 a kilo before the incidents. The
trend has also disappointed local fishermen as most of them
have cut their voyage to deep sea for fishing. The large
trawlers are now going to catch fish instead of shrimps. The
prices of mackerel (Surmai fish) and pomfret have also
declined. However, prices of ribbon fish have increased by
five to ten per cent following increase in its export.
Courtesy The News March
29, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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