STEP – Science, Technology, and Education in Pakistan

Dr. Zahid Ayub is the President of Isotherm, Inc., which is a manufacturer of heat transfer equipment in Arlington, TX. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas-Arlington and is a Technology Editor for the International Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer. Among the honors Dr. Ayub has received are the Michigan New Product Award, ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award and ASHRAE Research Service Award. Dr. Ayub is also a Fellow of ASME and ASHRAE.

Seafood export from Pakistan to European Union (EU) countries was banned in early April 2007, after an EU team visited the Karachi and Korangi fish harbors to investigate quality standards at the fisheries facilities. Earlier, during a February 2005 trip, the EU team warned the Pakistani authorities about sub-standard quality at the harbors. This ban on all fish imports from Pakistan to the EU has resulted in a multi-million dollars loss. As quality standards normalize across the globe, the standard of quality in Pakistan’s fisheries could potentially cost millions more in revenue in coming years.

Fish rotting under the sun at local fisheries

In my opinion, the only way to save the fishing industry in Pakistan is to form a separate Ministry for Fisheries. Currently, this department is a secondary part of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and almost neglected as a ‘vestigial’ organ. The formation of a separate ministry for fisheries will not only ensure that whole-hearted attention is paid to this important foreign exchange earning industry of Pakistan, but will also end the disparity and disharmony found between its federal and provincial care takers who want to shift blame for their failures on others. This Ministry would be well advised to institute the following measures immediately:

First, all brands exported from Pakistan to the EU or anywhere else in the world should be registered with the government and only those brands that are pre-inspected for quality by the authorities at all stages of its production should allowed to be exported.

Second, the number of seafood processing units approved by the EU may be eleven but in reality scores of “cowboy” exporters are sheltered within these units producing low grade products on “rental” or “contractual” basis. This illegal practice should be stopped at once.

Third, the registration of new fishing vessels must be banned for at least the next 10 years to save the remaining marine resources as well as to avoid congestion at harbor and ensure better hygiene and sanitary conditions on board as well as off board. The existing boat owners should be lawfully advised to modernize their vessels by installing chiller systems as per international standards which can be wholly or partly financed on a long term basis by the Provincial or Federal Government of Pakistan.

Finally, most of the fishery units are obsolete with very old machinery and rotten cold store insulation. The equipment used for essential fast freezing to preserve export products and to extend their shelf life are in poor shape and their function is non- uniform and sub-standard. We recommend a program to upgrade the current ice-chilled system with industry standard Refrigerated Sea Water Systems. Below, we present the case for the use of these systems both in terms of produce quality management and to maximize profit.

Illegal nets used for fishing

Modernizing Fishing Vessels: Refrigerated Sea Water System

Marine food quality is preserved only by the proper sequence of chilling and freezing on board the vessels. Preservation of quality must start at the point of capture because quality loss begins instantly when a fish dies. The quality can never be improved, but it can be maintained with proper care. Tuna, for example, is commonly chilled and stored temporarily in refrigerated seawater (RSW) at 30°F. However, rapid chilling to 10°F and continued freezing is necessary to protect tuna quality against deterioration due to bacterial, enzymatic, or oxidation activity. Spoilage and quality changes in seafood are affected by a myriad of factors: temperature, time, and physical treatment. Fish handling and physical abuse can also affect spoilage.

Thus, it is important to freeze the fish as quickly as possible to approximately 10°F, then dry the well and continue to take heat out of the fish down to about 0°F. Most enzymes retain some activity as long as there is free fluid in the fish. Above 0°F there is still enough unfrozen fluid in the fish to allow slow deterioration. Bacterial activity may continue down to about 15°F, even though it is reduced greatly at 23° to 25°F. The internal fish temperature will lag behind the brine temperature during chilling and freezing. The internal temperature of big fish, with greater body mass, can be warmer than the RSW and/or brine temperature for many hours until temperatures stabilize. Fish size will dictate the amount of this temperature difference; larger fish can lag several hours behind the brine temperature.

Ice crushing machines used for freezing on fishing boats

As opposed to the ice-chilled system currently used on fishing boats in Pakistan, mechanical Refrigerated Sea Water systems are the industry standard. If an RSW System is installed on boats, fishermen will get a better quality product that could be sold to the processor who in turn could make higher profit by selling overseas especially to the EU countries which held more than 50% of Pakistani seafood market. RSW increases both the fishmeal quality by maintaining the protein level and by being able to present fish for human consumption that is both good looking and free from non-desirable subjects such as bacteria and maggots. The protein level also depends on refrigeration being able to stop degradation. Seafood export could quadruple with this system, bringing much-needed foreign exchange to the country as well as improving overall socio-economical conditions of the fishermen community. Fishermen or the vessel owner can easily pay back for the refrigeration system within a year as shown by the following analysis.

Potential Revenue with the RSW System

The following statistics are based on actual figures recorded by fishermen or the boat owners present on site at Karachi Harbor during our survey on April 11, 2007.

The findings are summarized in Table 1.

	Fuel	Ice	Labor	Total Expenditure	Fishmeal	Local Market	Total Revenue	Net Revenue per Trip	Annual Net Revenue
Current	468k	84k	63k	615k	112k	520k	632k	17k	187k
RSW	468k	0k	63k	531k	280k	520k	800k	269k	2,959k

Table 1. Comparison of Expenditure, Revenue and Net Revenue between ice-chilled and RSW systems.

Typical Wooden Keel Fishing Vessel in Pakistan

Existing expenditure per trip:

A typical 55’ keel length of fishing vessel in Pakistan has either a 402 Horsepower (HP) CAT 3406B or Cummins 420 HP engine. If the engine is running all day at peak HP, it will consume about 7,200 liters of Diesel per 21 days of trip.

Price of one liter of Diesel in Pakistan is approximately Rs. 65.00 Therefore: 7200 x 65 = Rs. 468,000.00 per trip

Ice carried and consumed per trip is about 350 blocks; each block weighs approximately 80 kg; 350 blocks x 80 kg per block x Rs. 3.00 per kg; Price of ice Rs. 84,000.00 per trip

Labor required per trip; Rs. 200/day/man x 15 man x 21 days per trip Rs. 63,000.00 per trip; Total Expenses Rs. 615,000.00 per trip

Existing revenue per trip:

Present estimated revenue in terms of total catch is about 40 tons (40,000 kg). Based on our detailed discussions it was concluded that 35% (14,000 kg) of fish is converted into fish meal. Typical net earning is approximately Rs. 8.00 per kg = 14,000 x 8 = Rs. 112,000.00

Remaining 65% (26,000 kg) fish sold to local market at an average rate of RS 20 per kg = 26,000 x 20 = Rs. 520,000.00

Total Revenue generated Rs. 632,000 per trip

Total estimated Net Revenue (Revenue – Expense) = Rs. 17,000.00 per trip

According to the fisherman they take 11 (eleven) trips per year

Therefore: Rs. 17,000 x 11 = Rs. 187,000 per year

Vessel installed with RSW system:

If a vessel is installed with refrigeration equipment which can run for 24 hours and is worth about US $ 50,000 the fishermen/owner saves:

1. Ice elimination: RS 84,000.00 per trip

2. Better price achieved on the 35% of fish sold as fish meal @ RS 20 per kg = 14,000 kg x 20.00 = Rs. 280,000.00 per trip

Total potential profit: Rs. 364,000.00 per trip

Total earnings per year: (364,000 x 11) Rs. 4,004,000.00

Gross revenue earned per year with the new equipment is Rs. 4,004,000.00 which in turn is US$ 50,050.00 (1 US $ = 80 RS). This indicates that the capital cost can be recovered in approximately one year. Of course there will also be normal maintenance and wear/tear cost that should not exceed 10% of the capital cost per year.

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of STEP.