The Export Promotion Bureau EPB) is to diversify fish exports to the Far East markets to make up for the $23 million shortfall occurred due to the self-imposed ban on fish exports to Europe for eight months.
Sources at the EPB said on Monday that a delegation of fish exporters is due to visit Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, which have sizeable fish imports, in November to explore markets for Pakistani fish and fish products.
They said that only Thailand imports fish worth $900 million per annum while Pakistan's share in this market is only $48 million. The same is the ratio of Pak fish export to Malaysia and Vietnam, which have a large intake of fish.
The delegation will consist of eight leading fish exporters, who will hold meetings with leading fish importers and offer them high quality Pakistani fish, said the sources, and hoped that the delegation would get substantial export orders from the three countries. The dates of the visit are still to be confirmed by Pakistan's commercial officers in these countries.
Pakistan exported fish worth $152 million in 2003-04 compared to $129 million made in 2004-05. The shortfall is due to the ban on fish export to Europe for eight months. The export of fish to Europe resumed on August 8. About 11 fish processing plants have been approved by the European Union (EU) for export while six to seven fish processing plants have applied for authorisation to export.
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