CLASS LECTURES

“Fishing industry in Pakistan”

CATEGORIES OF FISHING INDUSTRY

SUBSISTENCE COMMERCIAL SUSTAINABLE

FISHING
Subsistence fishing is
carried out on a small
scale with basic tools
to feed the family. If a
large catch is obtained
then the remaining
fishes are sold in the
local market to buy
other items.
FISHING FISHING
Commercial fishing is Sustainable fishing is
carried out on a large method in which we
scale with modern catch fishes in such a
equipment and tools way that they are not
to be exported depleted and can be
internationally or to used by our future
be sold in large generations also.
markets for maximum
profit.

Difference in features between

subsistence and commercial farming
SUBSISTENCE FISHING
Characteristics:
 Wooden boats
 Local nets
 Traditional knowledge to catch
fishes
 Local baits
 Ice boxes to freeze fishes
 Can fish within 5 km from the
coastal area
Problems:
 Doesn’t catch enough fishes
 They are vulnerable against
cyclones, bad weather etc.
 Unpredictable quality of fish catch
COMMERCIAL FISHING
Characteristics:
 Mechanized boats / trawlers
 Nylon nets
 Live / artificial baits
 Storage place in the boat / ship
 Use of radar / sonar facilities
 Cleaning / gutting and freezing area
 Can stay for days to fish within
50km from the coastal area
Problems:
 Catch a large number of fishes and
by catch against the rule of
sustainability.
 Water pollution in the form of oil
spill.

Prepared By: Syed Abdul Basit Page |1

 Types of fishing industry

MARINE FISHING INLAND FISHING AQUA CULTURE

This type of fishing is
carried out in oceans
and seas. Some of the
species caught from
the coastal areas of
Pakistan includes:
 Sardines
 Mackerels
 Lobsters
 Crabs
 Sharks
 Prawns etc.
This type of fishing is This type of fishing is
carried out in rivers, carried out by
stream and lakes. constructing large
Some of the species rectangular ponds. Both
caught from the fresh inland and marine fishes
waters in Pakistan can be kept here. But
includes: preferably fishes with
high values are kept in the
 Thalla
ponds which includes:
 Palla
 Carp  Catla
 Mahaseer  Rohu
 Ruhu  Trout
 Trout etc.  Silver Carp
 Grass Carp
 Mahaseer etc.

Aquaculture
Aquaculture is a type of fish breeding and catching
techniques in which large rectangular ponds are made
to raise high valued fishes. This type of farming
requires nutritious fish food and breeding techniques.
Moreover, genetically engineered species are
introduced to be kept in aquariums etc.

Key features of Aquaculture:

 Large rectangular ponds are constructed
 Trees / small plants are grown near the edges of the pond to reduce the
evaporation rate.
 The base of the pond is made from concrete to reduce the seepage problem.
 High valued fishes like Goldfish, Oscar fish, Talapia, Kir and Tuna etc. are kept
for breeding purpose.

Prepared By: Syed Abdul Basit Page |2

 Integrated fish farming
In order to increase the profit margin or reduce the cost of production, commercial
fishermen in Pakistan usually practice integrated fish farming.

Key features of Integrated Fish Farming:

 Along with fish ponds, a commercial fishermen starts practicing agriculture,

livestock farming (cow & poultry) along with installing a biogas slurry.
 Fish utilize the spilled over poultry feed and their droppings whereas, the waste of
fish is used to make the feed for poultry.
 No additional space is required for poultry rearing.
 The wastage from the crops are fed to the livestock whereas the dung is used as
fertilizer in the field.
 The left over waste is burnt in the slurry to produce electricity and methane gas
which can be used to cook food.
 Fish, eggs, and meat are produced in a single unit area and it ensures higher profit
with fewer inputs.

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 Importance of fishing industry
Fishing industry holds great importance towards the economy of Pakistan. Some of its
importance are as follows:

 Pakistan is the largest exporter of fish and fish products to Japan, Malaysia,
Thailand, Middle East etc.
 Pakistan earns more than 6% of its total foreign exchange by exporting fish and
fish products.
 It is an important source of foreign exchange, and a large number of fish is
exported to different countries.
 It contributes 1% to the overall GNP of Pakistan.
 It employs 1% labour force in Pakistan.
 It helps to develop the poultry industry as fish waste is being used to make poultry
feed. Non edible species of fish are used to make poultry feed too.
 It helps the agriculture, as fish waste is used to make fertilizers.

Scope of fishing industry in Pakistan

JEWANI

GWADAR
PASNI
ORMARA
SONMINANI
KARACHI
MAKRAN
COAST THATA

BADIN

SINDH
COAST

Fishery and fishing industry plays a significant part in the national economy of Pakistan.
With a coastline of about 814 km, Pakistan has enough fishery resources that remain to be
developed. Most of the population of the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan depends
on fisheries for livelihood. It is also a major source of export earnings.
Pakistan has many marine and inland fishery resources. The potential was estimated at 1
million tonnes/year from the marine subsector alone.
Karachi Fish Harbour is the biggest and oldest of its kind in Pakistan, being used by all
types of fishing boats. Currently more than 4,000 fishing craft are based in it. At present,
it can be assumed that the harbour caters for the needs of near 75 percent of the local fleet.

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The major fish harbours of Pakistan are:
 Karachi Fish Harbour handles about 90% of fish and seafood catch in Pakistan
and 95% of fish and seafood exports from Pakistan.
 Karachi Fisheries Harbour is being operated by Provincial Government of Sindh.
 Korangi Fish Harbour is being managed by Federal Ministry of Ports & Shipping.
 Pasni Fish Harbour being operated by Provincial Government of Balochistan.
 Gwadar Fish Harbour being operated by Federal Ministry of Communication.

Problems of fishing industry

Fishing industry in Pakistan hasn’t been the same as it was used to be 10 – 20 years ago…
many problems associated with fishing industry has reduced the profit margin and demand
of Pakistani fishes in the world. Some of them are as follows:

 Most of the inland fishes have been banned by the international world due to the
increase in water pollution in the rivers of Pakistan.
 The international trawlers catching fishes in the seas of Pakistan always took the big
catch and the fishermen of Pakistan are left with the smaller catch.
 Subsistence fishermen who catch fishes during the illegal months 3Js (January, June
and July) has reduced the fish quantity in the waters of Pakistan.
 Many of the subsistence fishermen live near rivers due to which they are getting
lesser catch every day.
 Cutting down of mangroves had also affected the breeding grounds for fishes
 Dams have also reduced the population of migratory fishes.
 Deep ocean trawlers are making the sea deprived from bottom dwellers.

Over fishing
Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate that the
species cannot replenish in time, resulting in those species either becoming depleted or
very underpopulated in that given area.
OR
Over fishing takes too many fish out of the ocean, so there are not enough to breed and
produce the next generation of fish.

This causes many problems like:

 Larger fish in the food chain that need to feed die out from hunger.
 People that rely on fish for food find that their fishing boats came empty.
 Overfishing also creates large ecological dead zones in the ocean.

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 Steps to be taken for betterment in
fishing industry (sustainable fishing)
The government of Pakistan must take following steps to upgrade fishing industry to
increase its economy:

 Marketing of fish should be improved both locally and internationally.

 Better management practices should be adopted.
 Improvement in education and skills.
 More value added products should be introduced like packaging, canning etc.
 Environmental issues should be controlled.
 Infrastructure should be developed properly.
 Promotion of aquaculture.

Prepared By: Syed Abdul Basit Page |6