Smuggling of tuna fish to Iran costs Pakistan at least $50 million a year as fisheries experts urge the government to regularise the illegal seafood trade with neighbouring country to help costal communities' augment their income and lifestyle. "Around 200 tons of tuna fish is being smuggled to Iran on a daily basis through Gwadar port of Balochistan," said Technical Advisor (Marine Fisheries) at WWF-Pakistan, Muhammad Moazzam Khan.
Iranian traders pay higher prices for tuna fish as compared to the seafood rates at the country's fisheries, he said, adding that the illegal trade has huge financial appeal for the local fishermen. According to the WWF-Pakistan's report on 'Tuna Situation Analysis Pakistan 2012', the small-scale tuna gillnet fishery in Pakistan is mainly dependant on the trade of low quality gillnet caught tuna with Iran in chilled form and its export in salted-dried form to Sri Lanka.
The tuna fishing operations in Pakistan appeared to be financially viable and attractive to boat operators mainly because of high prices offered by Iranian traders. Prices of tuna in Pakistan have jumped considerably in the past few years. Construction of coastal highway along the Balochistan coast in 2003 has changed the marketing pattern. Following construction of the road fishermen from Karachi have got an opportunity to trade with Iran as the country's canneries offer extra-ordinary high prices for tuna. For example, the sources said that long tail and skipjack fetch around $1.2 to 1.4 per kilogram whereas yellow fin tuna is sold as high as $2 per kg. Procurement of fish on Iranian fishing and carrier boats at high rates, especially in Gwadar and Jiwani areas, give fishermen many advantages; by selling fish at high seas avoid maneuvering and high-handedness by the middlemen.
Additionally, fishermen also buy oil from Iranian boats under a barter system although such an arrangement is generally considered as smuggling. Although the government under this type of trade was losing a considerable amount of foreign exchange, it should be legalised in the interest of fishermen, the WWF official opined.
"Since centuries, a large number of artisanal fishing boats were engaged in tuna gillnetting in deep waters along with the coast of Pakistan and also fishing in waters of Oman, Yemen and Somalia, "he said, adding that "protection of tuna is our priority as it is one of the oldest and most important fisheries of Pakistan.
