Shrimp season starts in Oman

Ja’alan Bani Bu Hassan: Fishermen yesterday started the shrimps season along the coasts, particularly in the three Governorates of South A’Sharqiyah, Dhofar and Al Wusta. The season will last for three months. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries sets the shrimp fishing season from September to the end of November each year.
The profession of shrimp fishing has long been one of the traditional profession of the Omani fishermen, one of the world’s most valuable marine species and nutritious seafood.
There are 12 shrimp species in the Sultanate, but only four species are fished in by the traditional nets, including white Indian shrimp, white shrimp, tiger prawns and dotted shrimp.
Shrimp fisheries are found in the waters of Masirah Island, the Wilayat of Mahout, the coastal areas of the Governorate of Al Wusta, along the coastal strip in the Governorate of South A’Sharqiyah.
Yasser Al Meslahi, Director of Statistics and Information Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries said that shrimp is one of the most important fisheries resources in the Sultanate due to its nutritional value and increased demand in local and international markets.
He said the total production of shrimps from the traditional fishing in 2017 amounted to about 509 tonnes, a dip of 39 per cent compared to 2016 with a total estimated value of OMR1.4 million.
Local use reached 211 tonness while its exports reached 298 tonnes.
He added that the statistics indicate that the quantities of shrimp over the past four years witnessed a significant decline in production.
Hassan bin Hussein Al Aghbari, Director of the Fisheries Department in the Governorate of Al Wusta, said that the Governorate of Al Wusta, especially the Wilayat of Mahout, tops the shrimp production over the last five years with 79% of the total production during (2013-2017). He added that this is attributed to the abundance of production, the availability of the suitable environment for shrimp breeding, the adherence of artisanal fishermen to the rules of shrimp fishing season and the overfishing control, in addition to the increase in number of lectures and field visits to fishermen to raise awareness on shrimp season and commitments to dates of fishing.
He added that the Fisheries Department in the Governorate of Al Wusta seeks to meet with fishermen and to familiarise them with the importance of observing fishing seasons, the use of permitted fishing gear, and the non-use of prohibited fishing equipment that threaten the marine life and fisheries, as set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to ensure the sustainability of stocks.