Future prospects Pakistan's marine fishing activities are confined to the intense exploitation of inshore resources.

Most of the fishing effort is directed toward the shrimp resources, which are fully exploited. Future increase in fish production has to come from a more intense exploitation of offshore pelagic resources. Fishing in deeper waters could be done by upgraded and converted shrimp trawlers or newly introduced industrial type of boats. While the pelagic resources are now well known and are already well exploited, the prospects for tuna fish in Pakistan EEZ seem to be good. It is estimated that Pakistan can earn an additional US $80 to 100 million by exporting fresh and canned tuna fish, usually sold at throwaway prices in dry form. About 2 hundred thousand tons of tuna fish is caught annually. This fish is sometime exported to Sri Lanka at 50 cents per kg, in dry form, while it can easily fetch US $4 per kg or more if properly packed or in fresh form. Recently, Sri Lanka has shown interest in importing salted tuna fish. However, the build-up of tuna fleets by other countries in the region has affected catch rates. Sizeable stocks of mesopelagic fish have been discovered which in future might be utilised for fish meal and oil production. Good development prospects also exist in the field of inland fisheries and aquaculture. The country has about 2 million hectares of freshwater bodies in the form of lakes, reservoirs and rivers, the fisheries potential of which is only slightly utilised at present. Similarly, the development of brackish-water farming of shrimp in the creeks and estuaries of Sindh offer some prospects. Improved institutional arrangements, better fish handling, marketing and quality control, the rationalisation of existing fleets and processing plants will all be required if future expansion is to be more orderly and efficient. Based on the export potential, current and potential employment opportunities and threats to survival of seafood industry in Pakistan, SMEDA decided to review the industrial value chain from harvesting to processing, with the objective to develop a strategy for optimal utilisation of marine resources. The fisheries development strategy incorporates public and private sector interventions in all effecting areas, i.e., regulation, technology, management, marketing and human resources with a view to increase export earnings, create and sustain employment and bring about qualitative change in lives of millions of people involved in this trade.

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