International experts mentioned in the studies that the seafood has become one of the fastest-growing food categories worldwide. Rising health awareness, increasing disposable income, population growth, and rapid expansion of aquaculture have significantly increased global seafood consumption over the past six decades.
According to the latest statistics the global seafood market is valued at approximately $ 719 billion to $ 859 billion as of 2026, driven by rising demand for healthy proteins, aquaculture expansion, and steady post-pandemic retail growth. Today, seafood provides a major source of animal protein for billions of people worldwide, while aquaculture has become the primary contributor to global seafood production.
| Top Total Seafood Consumption | Top Per Capita Seafood Consumption | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Details | (Volume) | Details | (Per Person) |
| China | 60,559 kilotonnes | Iceland | 83.81 kg/capita |
| India | 12,554 kilotonnes | Maldives | 79.74 kg/capita |
| Indonesia | 11,365 kilotonnes | Kiribati | 72.28 kg/capita |
| United States | 7,537 kilotonnes | Hong Kong | 69.11 kg/capita |
| Japan | ~5,622 kilotonnes | Macau | 61.12 kg/capita |
| Tuvalu | 55.92 kg/capita | ||
No doubt, Seafood consumption is more than a dietary preference. It reflects economic development, cultural traditions, geographic accessibility, public health awareness, and the strength of a country’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Countries with high seafood consumption often demonstrate: Strong fishing industries, advanced aquaculture production, higher demand for premium seafood, well-developed cold-chain logistics, large seafood import markets and greater opportunities for international exporters. Understanding these consumption patterns enables seafood businesses to identify attractive export destinations and develop more effective market-entry strategies. Presently in the developing countries like Pakistan, country’s fish and seafood exports clocked at $125.4 million during the first quarter of the present fiscal year, against $93.28 million during the first quarter of FY2025-26. The rise in export earnings underscores the growing economic potential of the marine fisheries sector as the coutry seeks to expand its blue economy. It is said that in terms of volume, exports grew from 35,294MT in Q1 2024-25 to 43,995MT in Q1 2025-26 and reached 61,679MT in Q1 FY2026-27. It is recorded that both the value and volume of fish exports had grown substantially over the past three years, with the rise in export earnings broadly keeping pace with the rise in volume. Experts state that the fisheries sector was a significant component of Pakistan’s coastal economy, offering livelihoods to fishing communities while generating foreign exchange through exports of fish and other marine products.
Experts of our country appreciated the performance of the Marine Fisheries Department, mainly its record export earnings of $568 million during FY2025-26. Experts said the opening of new international markets, chiefly Russia, for Pakistani fisheries products was another significant achievement.
Present measures to resume shrimp exports to the United States, along with the revival of the fishing licensing regime in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), would assist promote the sustainable utilisation of Pakistan’s marine fisheries resources.
Experts also stressed the need to address institutional, technical and capacity-related bottlenecks to enhance fish and seafood exports to lucrative international seafood markets, particularly the European Union. Furthermore, experts also called for the revival and restoration of the Fisheries Training Centre (FTC) of the Marine Fisheries Department to strengthen human-resource capacity, enhance technical and professional standards, and improve compliance with international fisheries and seafood safety requirements.