Illegal fishing in Oman rose by almost a quarter last year

Muscat: The number of people caught fishing illegally in Omani waters rose by almost a quarter in 2016, compared to the previous year.

Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is in control of fishing violations. The Ministry confirmed it is in the process of implementing a control program to clamp down on illegal catches.

The Ministry appealed to fishermen, citizens and sailors to abide by the law of marine fishing and to protect water resources, and to report any suspicious information or waste through the hotline of the Maritime Security Centre 1999 or 24322999; or message them via WhatsApp on 91400430; or through the ministry's Twitter account through direct messages; through the State Fisheries Development Departments.

In 2015 the number of violations in different governorates reached 1,504, with 99 in Muscat, 332 in Al Batinah, 153 in Al Wusta, 283 in Dhofar, 344 in Al Sharqiyah, and 720 in Musandam. In 2016, the total amount of violations reached 1,931 with Muscat recording 58 cases, Al Batinah 330, Al Wusta 349, Dhofar 438, Al Sharqiyah 293 and Musandam 63.