Shrimp fishing season for 2024 begins in Oman

Muscat: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources(MAFWR) has announced the start of the 2024 shrimp fishing season, which begins in September and ends in November every year.

Shrimp fishing season begins in various coastal of the governorates of South Al Sharqiyah, Dhofar and Al Wusta

Salem bin Sultan Al Arimi, Director of the Department of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources in Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, explained that the shrimp fishing season is one of the important seasons that Omani fishermen rely on, as the total production of the Sultanate of Oman from artisanal shrimp fishing in the 2023 season amounted to 2,761 tons, including 2,024 tons that were landed in Al Wusta Governorate, and 717 tons in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, while exports amounted to 2,680 tons, worth 6.6 million Omani riyals.

He added to the Oman News Agency that in the 2022 season, the Sultanate of Oman’s total shrimp production amounted to 1,721 tons, led by Al Wusta Governorate with a landing quantity of 1,319 tons, followed by South Al Sharqiyah Governorate with 402 tons.

Al-Arimi pointed out that the amount of shrimp landing from artisanal fishing in 2023 was good and of excellent economic value for fishermen and other beneficiaries of the fisheries sector, noting that the price of one kilogram of shrimp ranges from 2 to 4 Omani riyals, depending on the landing quantities and supply and demand.

He stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources has directed its specialists to guide and advise fishermen to adhere to the regulations and laws that would preserve the sustainability of this resource, such as using fishing gear using the “Qadf” method and avoiding the use of prohibited fishing nets such as the “Kufa” method, which is locally called “Kufa”, in order to ensure the sustainability of this important economic resource.

He explained that there are many types of shrimp, including the Indian white shrimp, the green tiger shrimp, the small wandering shrimp, and the spotted shrimp. The fishing process in the Sultanate of Oman is focused in terms of importance on two types, namely the Indian white shrimp and the tiger shrimp, due to their availability and growth to large sizes.

It is worth noting that shrimp has nutritional value and is a primary source of protein and contains vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids of health importance. It also contains a very small amount of fat. Shrimp is used in food and medical manufacturing and the demand for it is increasing in local and global markets and is exported to the Gulf countries, Arab countries, as well as some Asian and European countries.