Pact signed to track fishing boats and ships

Muscat: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources on Tuesday signed an agreement with Middle East Scientific Equipment Corporation to carry out a project to develop an electronic system of tracking and monitoring fishing boats and ships in the Sultanate.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Saud Hamoud Al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and Umesh Chauhan, Managing Director, Middle East Scientific Equipment Corporation.

The project seeks to develop the current tracking system, set up in 2000, by establishing electronic connection with satellites and earth stations. This will provide high definition accuracy of global specifications that enables the Sultanate fishing flotilla, consisting of 25,201 units, to operate smoothly.

The project also keeps pace with the Ministry’s plans and programmes executed within the context of Oman Vision 2040. The programmes include expansion in using the Sultanate’s fishery stocks in regional and international waters along the Indian Ocean.

The overall aim is to augment the contribution of the fisheries sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through a set of investments targeting income-generating small surface fish and tuna. The annual produce is expected to stand at 1.4 million tons by 2025.

The signing ceremony was attended by Eng. Yaqoub Khalfan Al Busaidi, Ministry’s Under-Secretary for Fisheries.