ISLAMABAD: The federal government has trained around 2,455 fishermen and fisheries-related personnel on modern fishing techniques to ensure quality and enhance seafood export.
The training was given on different aspects of hygiene, deckhand and navigational electronic equipment with objectives to reduce post-harvest losses onboard fishing vessels and bring high quality products which fetch higher price in market.
Sources in Commerce Division on Sunday said the government has taken many steps to enhance seafood products and major amongst them was establishment of a model shrimp farm in District Thatta, Sindh under Export Development Fund (EDF) project titled “shrimp farming cluster development” to enhance supply of raw material for seafood industry in Pakistan by Fisheries Development Board.
Moreover, the sources said Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is undertaking various export promotion activities through trade exhibitions and delegations to encourage food sector including value addition of seafood products while Fisheries Development Board under Ministry of National Food Security and Research is providing a platform for enhancing and promoting fisheries sector in Pakistan.
The sources said in order to meet requirement of European Union (EU) and other importing countries, two (02) laboratories of MFD (i.e. Microbiology & Chemical) have been accredited from Pakistan National Accreditation Council.
They said to meet requirement of EU and other importing countries, technical assistance in respect of modification of fishing boats was rendered to Provincial Governments and relevant stakeholders and a total number of 2,000 fishing boats have been modified, which is a success story for Pakistan.
Similarly, the sources said pursuant to requirement of EU and other importing countries, on Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP), guidelines have been prepared and distributed to 137 fish exporters/processors to ensure quality.
They said after a period of about six (06) years, the EU has allowed resumption of export of Fish & Fishery products from Pakistan. It may be recalled that the fish processing plants were delisted by EU in April, 2007.
Two fish processing plants have been enlisted by EU in March 2013 and case of enlistment of five (05) more processing plants is in process with EU.
Furthermore, the sources said, in order to enhance seafood exports and curb the smuggling of seafood export to Afghanistan and other countries from Peshawar, four (04) new development projects are being implemented which are establishment of Regional Office & Testing Laboratory of Marine Fisheries Department at Peshawar and establishment of Regional Office & Testing laboratories of Marine Fisheries Department at Gwadar.
The other two are Upgradation and Accreditation of Quality Control Laboratories of MFD for Environmental Contamination and Reactivation of Hatchery Complex for Production of Fish and Shrimp Seeds.
