KARACHI, July 18: The fish export crossed the barrier of $200 million in 2007-08 for the first time in Pakistan’s history despite losing the European market of $55-60 million after a ban was imposed by the EU in April 2007.

According to figures of the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), export of fishery products surged by 12 per cent and nine per cent in terms of value and quantity, respectively, to $212 million (134,657 tons) as compared to $188 million (123,588 tons) in 2006-07.

The ban is likely to stay till the end of this year as EU’s relevant audits and inspection plan for July-December 2008 does not carry Pakistan’s name.

The programme includes visits by the EU team to various countries, including Bangladesh, Barbados, China, Faroe Islands, Ghana, India, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and the US, according to the food and veterinary programme of audits and inspection for July-December 2008, issued by the Directorate-General of Consumer Protection, European Commission.

The mission will carry out inspections of fish and its products, like bivalve molluscs, including aquaculture, in these countries.

The ban on Pakistan’s fishery products was imposed after an EU inspection mission in January 2007 found deficiencies about conditions at the processing plants, fish harbour and non-existence of any record on product traceability.

The EU team during inspection of various sites at harbour and processing units in January last had noticed grave systematic failures, particularly good governance in the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) and Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), precipitating port congestions, unhygienic conditions and compliance failures across the supply chain, from fish harvesting to handling onboard, at harbour landings, in auction halls and during transportation from boats to auction sites and fish processing establishment.

Akhlaq Hussain Abidi, an exporter, said that although the first half of 2007-2008 was really bad for exporters, the second half proved a boon, thus compensating the losses of the first half as exporters fetched more than the EU price in markets like the UAE, Indonesia, Thailand and China.

Even the average unit price improved during the last six months.

“This is the solo effort of exporters in tapping new markets and the government has nothing to do with the increase in exports,” he said, adding, even fishermen and boat-owners got good price of their efforts in the last six months.

He said since the imposition of ban in April 2007, no serious efforts had been made by the Pakistan government for resuming exports to European countries. All efforts of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, mainly focused in holding of meetings with the Sindh government, FCS and KFHA, rather than taking any practical measures. He also confirmed that there is no visit of any EU mission this year.

He, however, said that exporters have found new buyers and hopefully there would be no problem in the current fiscal year.