ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: The Export Promotion Bureau will diversify fish exports to Far East markets to make up for the $23 million shortfall occurred due to a self-imposed ban on fish exports to Europe for eight months.

A delegation of fish exporters is due to visit Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam in November to explore markets for Pakistanis fish and fish products.

Sources say 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 Pakistan’s fish exports to Malaysia and Vietnam, which have a large intake of fish.

The delegation, comprising eight leading fish exporters, will hold meetings with leading fish importers and offer them high quality Pakistani fish.

Pakistan had exported fish worth $152 million in 2003-04, as against $129 million in 2004-05. The shortfall is due to a ban on fish exports 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 for export while six to seven fish processing plants have applied for authorization to export, the sources added.—APP