Pakistan has secured a tuna fishing quota of 25,000 metric tonnes from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), comprising 15,000 tons of yellowfin tuna and 10,000 tons of Skipjack Tuna.
Pakistan’s tuna sector is set for a $200 million boost following global quota allocations and regulatory reforms. With international prices for these tuna species ranging between $5 and $7 per kilogram, and potentially higher with value-added processing, the economic potential is enormous.”
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Pakistan currently catches more than 45,000 metric tons of tuna each year; much of this high-value resource has been escaping the formal economy due to unregulated operations.
Gwadar, located on Pakistan’s Balochistan coast along the Arabian Sea (part of the Indian Ocean), is a significant hub for deep-sea tuna fishing. Gwadar’s deep-sea waters are within Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), extending 200 nautical miles.
Key tuna species found in these waters include
• Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares): Highly valued for sashimi and canning, abundant in deeper offshore waters.
• Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis): Common for canning, widely caught in Gwadar’s EEZ.
• Longtail Tuna (Thunnus tonggol): A coastal species, often caught closer to shore but present in deep waters.
• Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus): Found in deeper waters, targeted for high-value markets.
The daily smuggling of 200 tons of seafood (including tuna) to Iran, valued at USD 50 million annually, undercuts official production and export figures for Gwadar.
Pakistan’s fish production is projected to reach 181,000 MT by 2028, with an average annual growth rate of 1.1% from 170,000 MT in 2023.
CPEC-driven aquaculture and infrastructure upgrades could boost Gwadar’s output in 2025, potentially aligning with the projected national growth to 181,000 MT by 2028.
