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Dried fish processing needs to be modernised: seminar

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: With the modern processing techniques the export of dried fish can be increased to 80 million dollars from the existing 12 million dollars. It can also reduce the wastage of fish, which is at present 40 to 60 percent of the total catch.

These observations were made at a seminar on 'Processing of dried and semi-dried fishery products-guidance to Pakistan marine products manufacturers', organised by Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) in collaboration with the Export Promotion Bureau and the Pakistan Seafood Industries Association (PSIA) at IBA on Thursday. A fishery expert, Yoshifumi Nakamura, taught the fishermen and exporters latest techniques of processing of dried and semi-dried fishery products.

Addressing the seminar, Japanese Consul General Kazumi Dekiba said that Pakistan's total imports from Japan were about 613 million dollars in 1998 whereas Pakistan's exports to Japan amounted to 287.92 million dollars.Among the exported items, the share of fish and fishery products was around 6 percent (17.82 million dollars). This valuable foreign exchange is earned with only 10 to 12 percent of the fish catch being processed and exported.

Pakistan's coastal waters , he continued, are very rich in fish resources, in the territorial waters of the Makran coast at least a thousand varieties of fish are found. However, Pakistan has not made any remarkable progress during the last five decades. As a result this sector inspite of being more advanced in fisheries industry than all the other South Asian countries, contributed very little to the national food requirements. This is because of lack of proper handling and absence of storage on board and landing facilities.

Dekiba called for high standard of fish processing and freezing techniques in the absence of which a big chunk of valuable fishery resources is wasted. Therefore, appropriate measures should be taken for fish processing and freezing to increase the fish haul that reaches the retailers.

The consul-general pointed out that due to obsolete system and equipment being used by the fishermen, a major part of the fish catch either went to waste or became low grade quality that fetched low prices in the world market.

He said that he was glad to know that the Pakistan government was now taking keen interest and steps to improve the fisheries sector which included strengthening of infrastructure facilities, improvement of extension services, introduction of aqua-culture techniques, diversification of fishing efforts, development of value-added products and upgradation of socio-economic conditions of the fishermen.

Addressing the seminar, Sikander Ali Kerio, Director-General of Export Promotion Bureau, said that the dried fish contributed 28 percent of the total fish exports but in value in contributes only 10 percent of the total exports value.

He said that Pakistan exported 80,000 tonnes of fish last year worth 122 million dollars. However, as a result of poor handling and processing of fish, 40 to 60 percent of the total fish catch was wasted.

Masahiro Sawauchi, director-general of Jetro said that despite inheriting a more advanced marine fisheries industry than all the neighobouring countries Pakistan had hardly made any significant headway in the past years. He said that according to an F.A.O report, the north-west part of the Arabian Sea in which Pakistan is situated is believed to have one of the largest potential resources of marine fish.

He said that Pakistan was enjoying 556 nautical miles coastline but fishing was done mostly within a 12 nautical miles belt because the fishing vessels were small and not fit to stay out for long periods. In the absence of trained fishermen and refrigeration facilities 25 percent of the vast catch became stale.

He pointed out that the total yearly seafood catch in Pakistan was around 700,000 tonnes, 35 percent of which was locally consumed, a similar quantity is used in preparation of fish meal for the local poultry industry and the rest 10 to 13 percent was exported either in frozen or fresh form to the European Union, Japan and the United States, while a similar quantity was exported to Sri Lanka in dried form which fetched only half the value of the frozen fish exports.

Tariq Ikram, Chairman, Pakistan Seafood Industries Association, said that by using improved processing techniques offered by the Japanese experts Pakistan could earn 80 million dollars from export of dried fish against the existing export income of 12 million dollars. He said that the dried fish exports constituted 23 percent of the total fish exports but fetched only six to nine percent of the total export value due to its low quality resulting from the use of obsolete methods of processing.