INSPECTION TIME

The European Union (EU) has begun an inspection of Karachi's fish harbour to decide whether to ban seafood exports from Pakistan. The fishing industry in Pakistan exports around US $150 million of seafood annually. Almost one-third goes to Europe and sold mostly in the UK and the Netherlands. The EU is considering banning fish from countries such as Pakistan if they fail to meet standards on quality and health-related issues by next summer. "We export 31 per cent of our total exports to Europe, so if they do not certify Pakistan as a country eligible to export, we will be in real trouble," says Hanif Khan, the largest exporter of pasteurised crab meat.