Uncontrolled increases in the size of fishing fleets have resulted in overfishing - and consequently the depletion of marine resources, well beyond levels of sustainability -  in both shallow and deeper waters. Further, stress is placed on fish stocks as post-harvest losses are extremely high due to poor handling on-board and on land, and inadequate storage for on-board fishing vessels. A higher number of post-harvest losses means fishermen attempt to catch a larger number of fish to cover for expected losses. The issues faced by the marine fisheries sector can be summarized as:
 

• A decline in the population of commercially important fish species
• An ever-expanding fleet size
• Legislative changes extending fishing periods
• Usage of deleterious gears on fishing vessels
• Significant post-harvest losses
• Increase in the amount of pollution, and the discharge of sewage and municipal waste in the estuarine and creek areas of Pakistan
• Lack of access to the market for sustainable and competitive fishery products, especially due to a lack of compliance with international standards and instruments.
• Non-compliance to internationally binding and non-binding agreements.