Coronavirus: Fishermen's village in Oman closed

Muscat: The Fisheries Department in the Ras Madarka area, Al Wusta Governorate, shut down a village in the area falling in the Wilayat of Duqm to prevent the gathering of fishermen as a measure to protect them and ensure their safety in view of the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).

Hassan bin Hussein Al Aghbari, Director of Fisheries Department in the Governorate of Al Wusta, said that the decision came in implementation of the instructions of the Supreme Covid-19 Control Committee.

Al Aghbari told ONA that the Ras Madarka Fishermen’s Village was set up in 2012 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to provide accommodation for fishermen from outside the Governorate of Al Wusta.

The facility saves the time and effort of fishermen and ensure traffic safety in the coastal area, said al Aghbari, adding that the fish loading activity is proceeding as normal in the area and that this serves both the interests of the local community and the fishermen, whose livelihood is not affected.

The Fisheries Department prohibited entry to the jetty by people other than fishermen, halted the activity of leisure boats and took precautionary measures to implement social distancing among fishermen, al Aghbari added.

He pointed out that Al Wusta Governorate is one of the richest hubs of fisheries in the Sultanate and that his department is coordinating with fish marketing companies to market the daily catch in other governorates.