Observer Report
Islamabad
Pakistani seafood exporters met with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in Beijing and updated him on discussions with their Chinese counterparts as Islamabad intensifies efforts to expand its fisheries exports.
Minister Chaudhry emphasized that signing memorandums of understanding and fostering business-to-business agreements will play a crucial role in enhancing fisheries exports, strengthening aquaculture collaboration, and elevating Pakistan as a key seafood hub in the region.
“Pakistan aims to reach $600 million in seafood exports in the upcoming financial year,” he stated.
Among the exporters, Tariq Memon, International Sales Manager at Arabian Sea Products, shared that his company is developing an advanced aquaculture and holding systems to cultivate and preserve live mud crabs and lobsters for export.
He said this initiative, in partnership with Chinese firms, seeks to extend the survival time of live seafood to two or three weeks, enabling access to distant markets such as China.
Memon highlighted that success would depend heavily on technology transfer, investment, and aquaculture expertise from Chinese partners.
Minister Junaid Chaudhry noted that Pakistan’s seafood export sector, including live mud crabs and lobsters, is experiencing positive growth, contributing to total exports exceeding USD 465 million in FY 2024–25.
“Pakistan ranks as the third-largest global exporter of mud crabs, shipping over 3,000 tons of live mud crabs to China, its biggest importer,” the minister added.
Saeed Ahmed Fareed, CEO of Legend International (Pvt) Ltd, proposed a joint venture with a Chinese company focused on value-added frozen seafood and poultry products, such as chicken feet. Located in Karachi, the company operates a 65,000-square-foot facility with a processing capacity of 40 tonnes daily and holds approval from China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC).
Fareed explained that the collaboration would help both parties reduce costs, gain economies of scale, and broaden export reach to the US, Europe, and regional markets.
