Oman economy: Ithraa meet on aquaculture

Muscat: Ithraa’s fourth session of ‘Inside Stories’ 2017 will discuss “Aquaculture and Oman’s Blue Revolution” at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation at 7 pm on August 15.
Aquaculture presents a significant opportunity to attract inward investment to Oman, create jobs, boost exports, as well as enhance the Sultanate’s food security.
“For this session, we chose aquaculture because it is one of the sectors we encourage people to invest in and it is one of the target sectors we have been promoting for economic diversification in Oman.
“In the fourth session, we will be discussing the topic with specialists within the sector,” said Sajda Al Ghaithy, media director at Ithraa, Oman’s inward investment, and export development agency.
As the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC’s) largest fresh fish producer, Oman has already demonstrated its fisheries credentials and potential to develop as a leading regional aquaculture hub. However, in order to realise its ambitions, access to land, technology, research, and talent is critically important.
The session will discuss the benefits and challenges of investing in this sector, Al Ghaithy stated, adding: “Commercial aquaculture has the potential to stimulate economic growth and create jobs. As many as 35 million people are directly employed in the fisheries sector worldwide; 20 per cent of them in the aquaculture industry and indirectly the industry supports several times this number.”
Considered the fastest developing food-producing sector in the world, aquaculture is recognised as a possible sustainable solution for food security. However, the sector faces any number of challenges ranging from environmental degradation and reduced water quality, disease, and a lack of governance and regulation in production.
The evening session will be moderated by Dr. Younis Al Akhzami, chief executive officer (CEO), Public Authority for Manpower Register. The session will see four industry experts sharing knowledge and opinion with academicians, executives of companies, students, and other attendees.
Panellists include Andreas Ntatsopoulos, chief operating officer of Oman Aquaculture Development Company, Dawood Al Yahyai, director of Aquaculture Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Michael Katz, CEO at Oman Aqua Science, and Rumaitha Al Busaidi, an Aquaculture specialist at the Al Hosn Investment Company.
“We have had a very positive response from the guests who attend the sessions, so far we have had between 80 and 100 people attending each session,” said Al Ghaithy.