Pakistani fish and seafood have cleared one of the world's toughest regulatory hurdles. Products of Pakistani origin are now on sale in European supermarkets, according to a statement issued on Saturday, a sign that the country can meet the stringent quality and food-safety standards demanded by premium buyers. Industry figures argue that, with proper investment, the fisheries sector could earn between $1bn and $2bn a year in exports.

The claim was made by Asim Abrar, chief executive of Sea Green Enterprises, during a visit to the company by a high-level Chinese delegation and other guests. Mr Abrar said the breakthrough showed that Pakistani seafood has the quality to compete abroad, provided it is processed, packaged and handled in line with European requirements. The emphasis on handling reflects how strictly such markets police the journey from catch to counter.

In his view, the potential of the industry remains largely unrealised. Pakistan, he said, possesses significant capacity in seafood exports, but turning that into earnings will require the right infrastructure, fresh investment, modern processing plants and greater value addition. Only with those ingredients in place, he suggested, could the sector approach the $1bn-2bn range he envisages.

Mr Abrar credited official support for the progress made so far. He thanked the Marine Fisheries Department, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and other government bodies whose co-operation, he said, helped Pakistani seafood gain entry to heavily regulated foreign markets. Access of this kind depends as much on certification and oversight at home as on the quality of the product itself.

The achievement is being presented as a useful case study of Pakistani seafood breaking into high-end international retail. Supporters see it as evidence of the untapped promise of the country's fisheries, a sector that has long been overshadowed by textiles and agriculture in discussions of export growth. The attention of a visiting Chinese delegation adds to the interest surrounding it.

Still, the gap between a single company's success and a $2bn industry is considerable. Mr Abrar's estimate rests explicitly on conditions not yet met, from processing facilities to investment in value-added products. Whether Pakistan's fisheries can scale up from a foothold on European shelves to a meaningful source of foreign exchange will depend on how quickly those foundations are laid.