For a bigger catch

The Sultanate of Oman is one of the largest fish producers in the Gulf region and a net exporter of fish and their products.

Set on the profitable axis of the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean, the country’s warm climate allows year round fishing of more than 1,000 species along its 3,165 km long pristine coastline.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Vision 2040 envisages creation of a profitable world-class fisheries sector that is ecologically sustainable and a net contributor to the economy of the Sultanate of Oman, and to stimulate a growth led by the private sector in fisheries sector capital and employment.

The strong commitment from the government to develop aquaculture sector in a competitive and sustainable manner augurs well for the social, economic, cultural and historic values of the country.

The Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries and Water Resources is focusing on increasing aquaculture production to 220,000 metric tonnes, with a value of $ 883 million by 2030.

The ambitious Vision 2040 document outlines various plans to achieve a “profitable world-class fisheries sector that is ecologically sustainable and a net contributor to the economy of Oman”.

This vision is a shorthand description of a future fishery and aquaculture sector that is developed and mature.

“By 2040, the fisheries sector will be making a net contribution to increasing the wealth of Oman, rather than being dependent upon that wealth, mainly through subsidies, for its development as is presently the case”, asserts the document.

The current fisheries sector GDP estimate of RO 165 million understates the value of the sector because it does not attribute processing marketing and logistical activity in fisheries value chains to the fisheries sector.

An initial estimate of the value of the fisheries sector is RO 380 million. Work is required to properly characterise and monitor the economic scale and importance of the sector.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Vision 2040 will generate improved net economic value from better governance of the country’s domestic fisheries that reduces the risk of existing investment by ensuring environmental sustainability, providing new opportunities for private investment, stimulating innovations to make Omani value chains more efficient and to add value to fish products.

“The private sector will be both bigger and more internationally competitive than at present, and will provide an attractive source of employment for future generations of educated Omanis who aspire to comfortable living standards”, states the document.

Aquaculture and international development opportunities (i.e. development of large tuna interests) also exist and are the main potential sources of growth in fisheries product volumes. The potential for the Omani aquaculture sector in the next ten years has been estimated as being capable of annual production of 33,700 tonnes with an associated turnover of RO 71.5 million, with this total rising to 220,000 tonnes estimated value of RO 770 million by 2040.

According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total quantity of fish landed in the Sultanate of Oman reached 840,378 tonnes in 2020, an increase of 44.8 per cent comparing to 2019.

The aquaculture production grew by 24 per cent compared to 2019. As for marine and freshwater aquaculture, the amount of fish production reached 1,307 tonnes in 2020, including marine aquaculture for the bream fish production using floating cages.

GCC countries accounted 22.2 per cent of the fish exports in 2020 followed by 10.2 per cent to the US, 67.1 per cent to other countries and 0.5 per cent to European countries.

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