Fish farming production in Oman reaches 4,364 tons by November 2023

Muscat: The total fish farming production from fish farms in the Sultanate of Oman reaches 4,364 tons by November 2023 with a total value of approximately RO 10 million.

Fish farming, which is based on raising species of fish and providing appropriate conditions for them to reproduce and grow, is receiving increasing attention due to the fundamental role it represents in achieving food security and supporting the expansion and sustainability of this vital and promising sector.

Dr. Issa bin Muhammad Al-Farsi, Director of the Fish Farming Development Department at the General Directorate for Fish Resources Development at the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources, explained that the total fish farming production from fish farms until November of this year varied between kingfish, with a production of 1,780 tons, and shrimp, with a production of 2,584 tons.

He added in a statement to the Oman News Agency that the production of tilapia fish reached 294 tons with a total value of 441 thousand Omani riyals, stressing that fish farming contributes to increasing fish production in the Sultanate of Oman by a good percentage and steadily increasing in the coming years, especially since there are projects under construction and others. Develop initial approvals for the work.

The Sultanate of Oman is considered an attractive environment for investment, and provides a wide range of financial and business development incentives, including offering sites designated for aquaculture projects with usufruct rights, and quickly obtaining the required licenses for investors if all requirements are completed through a specialized department created to follow up and facilitate procedures in this field.

The Director of the Fish Farming Development Department at the General Directorate of Fish Resources Development at the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources said: The number of commercial farming companies that obtained the final license reached 13 companies to produce shrimp, kaufir and Omani semolina with an investment amounting to 278.3 million Omani riyals.

The Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources had signed a set of agreements in partnership with the public and private sectors during the year 2023, through the establishment of fish farming projects with an investment volume estimated at 35.9 million Omani riyals. The farmed products varied between fin fish such as European seabream and crustaceans such as shrimp, in addition to Shellfish, such as abalone (Omani safilih), with a production capacity of up to 14,000 tons annually.

The Ministry also recently presented 10 new investment opportunities for the purpose of establishing commercial fish farming projects through the “Development” platform of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning. It is noteworthy that aquaculture is one of the fastest growing productive sectors in the world at a rate of 9 percent annually, as the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources seeks to develop and improve the fish farming sector and develop the exploitation of fish resources in the Sultanate of Oman. To meet consumers’ needs for high-quality farmed aquatic products in a sustainable and environmentally compatible manner.