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Pakistan's Blue Economy: Vast Offshore Resources in Exclusive Economic Zone
Pakistan has a 1,000 kilometers long coastline on the Arabian Sea with maritime sovereignty over 200 nautical miles deep Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 150 nautical miles of Continental Shelf. This adds 290,000 square kilometers of sea or about 36% of the country's land area open for tapping vast resources in it.
Pakistan's "Blue Economy" in this extended economic zone includes seafood and energy resources as well as international trade connectivity with the rest of the world. It offers opportunities for water sports, recreation and tourism in the coastal areas of Pakistan. One sign of the recognition of Pakistan's blue economy is the ongoing three-day International Maritime Conference organized on the theme of ‘Global Geopolitics in Transition: Rethinking Maritime Dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region’ under the auspices of National Institute of Maritime Affairs.
Offshore Energy Resources:
A Pakistan Basin Study conducted in 2009 found that the country has six onshore and two offshore basins; offshore basins being the Indus basin and the Makran basin in the Arabian Sea.
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Top 3 Offshore Drilling Sites in Asia-Pacific. Source: Bloomberg |
The Indus offshore basin is a rift basin that geologists say developed after the separation of the Indian Plate from Africa in the late Jurassic period. It is believed to be the second largest submarine fan system in the world after the Bay of Bengal with high probability of hydrocarbon discoveries.
The Makran Offshore basin is separated from the Indus Offshore basin by Murray ridge, according to Syed Mustafa Amjad's report in Dawn. It is an oceanic and continental crust subduction zone with deepwater trenches and volcanic activity. The basin consists of oceanic crust and periodic emergence of temporary mud islands along the coast suggesting strong evidence of large hydrocarbon deposits.
American energy giant Exxon-Mobil has joined the offshore oil and gas exploration efforts started by Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) and Italian energy giant ENI, according to media reports.
Each company has 25% stake in the joint venture under an agreement signed at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in May 2018 among ExxonMobil, Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL), PPL, ENI and OGDC.
Exxon-Mobile's entry in Pakistan brings deep offshore drilling technology, its long experience and financial resources to the country. It is expected to accelerate exploration and more discoveries.
CPEC and Trade:
Pakistan has built Gwadar as its third major deep sea port after Karachi and Port Qasim. Gwadar port's planned capacity when it is completed will be 300 to 400 million tons of cargo annually. It is comparable to the capacity of all of India's ports combined annual capacity of 500 million tons of cargo today. It is far larger than the 10-12 million tons cargo handling capacity planned for Chabahar.
"We believe Gwadar is following in the footsteps of Shenzhen which represented a historic population rise, from a population of 30,000 in 1980 to 11 million people in 2017. Gwadar is poised to see massive population growth due to incoming industries, and we expect this to be one of the most strategic cities in South Asia." Hao-Yeh Chang, China Pak Investments Corporation
To put Gwadar's scale in perspective, let's compare it with the largest US port of Long Beach which handles 80 million tons of cargo, about a quarter of what Gwadar will handle upon completion of the project. Gawadar port will be capable of handling the world's largest container ships and massive oil tankers.
Gawadar port is being built in Pakistan by the Chinese as part of the ambitious $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that will eventually serve as Hong Kong West for growing Chinese trade with the Middle East and Europe. CPEC will also enable Pakistan to bypass Afghanistan to trade with Central Asia through China across China's borders with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The volume of Gwadar property searches surged 14-fold on Pakistan’s largest real estate database, Zameen.com, between 2014 and 2016, up from a prior rate of a few hundred a month. “It’s like a gold rush,” said Chief Executive Zeeshan Ali Khan to an Express Tribune newspaper reporter. “Anyone who is interested in real estate, be it an investor or a developer, is eyeing Gwadar.”
Chinese private investment company China Pak Investment Corporation has recently announced it is acquiring 3.6 million square foot International Port City project in Gwadar. It plans to develop a $150 million gated community to handle the influx of 500,000 Chinese professionals expected in Gwadar by 2022.
Seafood Industry:
Pakistan’s fishing industry is very small relative to its vast potential. Pakistani fishermen own small fishing boats and their catch is very limited. The industry contributes only 0.4% of the country's $315 billion GDP. However, the nation's seafood exports are growing, In fiscal year 2017-18, seafood exports increased 27.94% to 198,420 tons, earning $451.026 million.
Pakistani finishing industry is in need of major modernization to make it more productive. China’s infrastructure investments in Pakistan are opening up the local fisheries sector on the Arabian Sea, with a major Chinese power station builder completing a fishing port as a “gift” to local people, according to a report in SeafoodSource. State-owned China State Power Investment Corp., which is building several power plants in Pakistan, said a new fishing port in Lasbela region on the Arabian Sea would aid the economy and increase the efficiency of the local fishing community in Baluchistan Province (of which Lasbela is part), says the report.
Summary:
Pakistan is beginning to focus on tapping vast resources in its 290,000 square kilometers of sea or about 36% of the country's land area. Fishing industry is being modernized with Chinese help and Exxon has begun exploring offshore oil and gas reserves. Gwadar has been built as the third deep sea port and a major new metropolis is being built t hat could one day rival Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Related Links:
US EIA Estimates of Oil and Gas in Pakistan
Exxon Exploring Offshore Oil and Gas in Pakistan
Views: 1216
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Comment by Riaz Haq on July 21, 2025 at 9:48am
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Pakistan invests $10.5m in aquaculture park as part of blue economy drive Pakistan is investing $10.5m in a Karachi aquaculture park to boost seafood exports and develop its blue economy...
https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2025/07/21/pakistan-invests-10-5m-...
Pakistan is investing PKR 3 billion ($10.5 million) to build a 120-acre aquaculture park in Karachi, on the country's southern coast, to boost seafood exports and promote sustainable marine resource use, reports Arab News...
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Pakistan plans to build $10.5 million aquaculture park to promote seafood exports
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2608657/pakistan
The development comes amid government efforts for sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth
Pakistan’s fish and fish preparation exports reached $465.4 million in the last fiscal year that ended in June
KARACHI: Pakistan is planning to build Rs3 billion ($10.5 million) aquaculture park in the southern port city of Karachi, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Saturday, amid efforts to strengthen the country’s blue economy.
According to the World Bank, the blue economy is defined as sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improving livelihoods and creating jobs, while preserving the ocean ecosystem health.
Pakistan has been pushing to modernize its port infrastructure and expand its role in regional trade by improving cargo handling, digitalizing port operations and encouraging public-private partnerships.
Speaking at a meeting to review progress on blue economy, Chaudhry said this new aquaculture park will be built on 120 acres and directed the Qur'angi Fish Harbor Authority to submit its report within 10 days.
“Pakistani coastal waters are very suitable for aquaculture,” he said in a statement shared by the maritime affairs ministry. “The project will be built under a public-private partnership and the park will boost seafood exports.
Pakistan’s fish and fish preparation exports reached $465.4 million in the outgoing fiscal year that ended in June, according to official data. The exports were up 13.4 percent from $410.3 million in the previous year.
Authorities are currently trying to enhance the potential of Pakistan’s fisheries, logistics and marine services while reducing environmental harm.
“Investment in aquaculture and port infrastructure is essential for national development,” Chaudhry told representatives of Gwadar Port, Qur'angi Fish Harbor, Marine Fisheries and Balochistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry at the meeting.
“The same aquaculture model will be implemented in Balochistan as well.”
In May, the Pakistani government announced the creation of a new Maritime Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), saying it would serve as a specialized platform for uniting stakeholders from across the maritime spectrum to pursue greener policies and long-term economic resilience.
“This chamber will not only support investment and innovation in the maritime sector but also prioritize sustainability at ports, promote green technologies and foster carbon reduction strategies,” Chaudhry said at the time.
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Pakistan seafood exports set volume record in 2024-25 fiscal year but fall short of value targets | SeafoodSource
https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/pakistan-seafood-ex...
Pakistan’s seafood exports set a record by volume in the 2024-25 fiscal year but still fell short of hitting the sector’s long-held value goals.
The South Asian country sent 216,350 metric tons (MT)of fishery products abroad during the period, which ended in June 2025. That total marked an 8.3 percent jump from the nearly 200,000 MT sent abroad in fiscal year 2023-2024 and was largely attributed to the efforts of local fishermen and processors, who expanded their export capacities despite persistent global trade challenges, according to the Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association (PFEA).
Exports by value rose 13.4 percent in the period to USD 465 million (EUR 399 million); though that total spiked year over year, it still fell short of the sector’s long-held goal of USD 500 million (EUR 428 million).
According to Muhammad Moazzam Khan, the former director-general of Pakistan’s Marine Fisheries Department, the country’s government has announced several measures to help the industry hit that goal, including supporting cluster-based shrimp-farming projects, establishing technical cooperation with Iran regarding shrimp hatchery development, applying on-board freezing technologies to reduce post-harvest losses, and more.
However, structural and regulatory restraints make that goal a tough mark to hit.
One large restraint is that demand has been weak in key Asian markets, particularly China, amid continued trade disruptions spurred by the U.S.’s constantly shifting tariff policies, according to PFEA Senior Vice Chairman Saeed Fareed...
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Trump Truth Social Posts On X
@TrumpTruthOnX
We are very busy in the White House today working on Trade Deals. I have spoken to the Leaders of many Countries, all of whom want to make the United States “extremely happy.” I will be meeting with the South Korean Trade Delegation this afternoon. South Korea is right now at a 25% Tariff, but they have an offer to buy down those Tariffs. I will be interested in hearing what that offer is.
We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves. We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership. Who knows, maybe they’ll be selling Oil to India some day!
Likewise, other Countries are making offers for a Tariff reduction. All of this will help reduce our Trade Deficit in a very major way. A full report will be released at the appropriate time. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
https://x.com/TrumpTruthOnX/status/1950654905804279830
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Trump Says Pakistan Deal Done, South Korea Is Close
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/fed-meeting-interest-rate-decision...
The U.S. and Pakistan have concluded a trade pact, President Trump said Wednesday, adding that a deal could be close with South Korea.
Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. has “concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves,” and is in the process of choosing a company to lead the partnership.
Trump also said he would meet with a South Korean delegation on Wednesday afternoon, who would bring an offer to “buy down” the 25% tariffs Trump has threatened to impose Aug. 1. Trump has previously pressed others to commit funds to build infrastructure and energy projects in the U.S., including the European Union and Japan.
Trump provided no further detail, but said "a full report" would be released "at the appropriate time."
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