ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani government committee has set a 120-day deadline to develop a plan for expanding shrimp farming and increasing exports, the maritime ministry said on Tuesday, as the country seeks to diversify its overseas earnings through higher-value seafood products.

Pakistan’s fish and seafood exports reached a record $568 million in the fiscal year ending June 2026, including $62.14 million from shrimp, according to the maritime affairs ministry. Major destinations included China, Thailand, the UAE, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Much of the country’s seafood exports come from wild-caught marine resources. Officials have identified hatcheries, feed supplies, disease control, processing and compliance with international food safety standards as requirements for developing a larger farmed-shrimp industry.

“A sub-committee constituted by the prime minister has set a 120-day deadline to prepare a roadmap for expanding shrimp farming, improving value addition and boosting exports as part of a broader 24-month implementation and review process,” said a statement issued after Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired the committee’s meeting, bringing together provincial fisheries officials and federal institutions.

The 120-day deadline covers preparation of the roadmap within a broader 24-month implementation and review process. The statement announced no export earnings target or funding allocation.

The committee approved seven technical working groups and a projection and costing cell to prepare 14 reports and export projections. It also adopted a common system for collecting and verifying data, identifying priority problems and monitoring progress.

Participating institutions were assigned an initial 14-day action plan.

“The exercise will establish a baseline for the sector, identify bottlenecks across the value chain and propose measures to improve production, processing and export competitiveness,” the statement said.

Chaudhry said the federal government would work with provinces and industry stakeholders to identify constraints, expand farming and improve processing to increase the value of shrimp exports.

Punjab’s aquaculture and fisheries secretary, Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal, said the province was working to expand shrimp farming and establish hatcheries, but building an effective supply chain remained a major challenge.

Sindh’s livestock and fisheries secretary said a feasibility study was being prepared for a 3,500-acre shrimp farm. He also highlighted difficulties in processing and traceability, the ability to track products through farming, handling and distribution.

The next committee meeting will review initial data collection, evidence gaps, working-group progress and proposed measures to address risks and constraints, the statement said.