(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sanaullah Ataullah |
The Peninsula
Qatar has witnessed 30 percent annual growth in production of hamour fish (brown-spotted grouper) thanks to Strategic Food Security Projects 2019-23 of the Ministry of Municipality.
The projects, launched under National Food Security Progamme, targeted to increase self-sufficiency of the country in fish production to 90 percent and prawn to 100 percent by 2023.
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This came in a report issued by the Ministry of Municipality on the achievement of its Fish Affairs Department for 2021 'Fish Farming and Ensuring Self-Sufficiency'.
To enhance fish production, the Ministry had launched initiatives to provide baby fish and prawn larvae from its Aquatic Research Center at Ras Matbakh to fish farms far fattening for commercial purpose. Baby fish were also released in sea to protect the strategic reserve of fish in Qatari water.
According to the report, hatcheries of Aquatic Research Center at Ras Matbakh reached in full capacity by the beginning of 2020 producing baby fish and prawn larvae in huge quantity.
The center produced over 700,000 hamour baby fish, 786,000 Al sha'm baby fish, 21,000 Al safi baby fish, 46,000 European Sea Brim baby fish. Over 6.7 million prawn larvae (PL20) size and 17 tonnes of marketing size (30gm) were also produced at the center.
The Ministry also provided huge support to fishermen such as free boxes and ice for storing and transporting fish at a cost of QR1,449,600, ice cube and crushed ice at a cost of QR12,951,600 for three years and fuel support at a cost of QR16,800,00.
The fishermen also received QR4,495,000 as a financial support to boat at the rate of QR15,000 to fishing boat and QR10,000 to wooden boat. As many as 409 boats benefited from the initiative.
The Ministry gave QR1,940,000 to 194 kingfish hunting boats at the rate of QR10,000 per boat.
Interest-free loans have been provided through Qatar Development Bank (QDB) in coordination with Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry to owners of fishing boats to help them buy fishing equipment and maintaining their boats.
The Fish Affairs Department took several measures to regulate fishing for protecting and support wish stock. The measures include issuance of legislations for regulating fishing hobby and specifications for fishing tools. Hunting some types of fish during breading seasons were also banned.
The Department is protecting fisheries and increasing fish stocks in the country. It is preparing and implementing strategies to ensure the sustainability of fisheries in Qatari water.
The Department conducts studies to assess the biomass of fish stocks in the sea. It is also making regular evaluation of stocks of all types of fish of economic value. The Department ensures that fishing effort is kept within reasonable levels to prevent overfished.
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