SHINAS: The completion rate of construction work in the first phase of the whiteleg shrimp farming project in the Wilayat of Shinas, Al Batinah North Governorate, has reached 80 per cent.
Spanning an area of 100,000 square metres, it carries a construction cost of approximately RO 5 million, with shrimp production in the first phase expected to reach nearly 5,000 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
The ministry confirmed that the ponds have been prepared and are currently in the finishing phase, along with the commencement of constructing nursery ponds, shrimp broodstock ponds, and administrative offices. It pointed out that the project, implemented by Blue Aqua International Gulf Company, will contribute to producing larvae of various shrimp species in demand locally and globally. This will enhance the local economy by creating direct job opportunities for Omani youth and providing indirect employment generated by operational processes and the supply chain. The project will also provide an ideal environment for transferring knowledge and modern technology in aquaculture, enhancing human resource efficiency in this promising sector.
Dr Issa bin Mohammed al Farsi, Director of the Aquaculture Development Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, said that the total plot area of the project reaches 288,478 square metres, with an overall construction cost reaching approximately RO 23.5 million. The total area for all phases covers 28 hectares, with annual production upon operation expected to reach 7,500 tonnes, making it one of the largest aquaculture projects in the Sultanate of Oman.
He said: "The project is expected to provide 62 direct job opportunities and 124 indirect job opportunities. It will also contribute to supplying shrimp broodstock instead of importing them from abroad and creating aquaculture technologies that can be manufactured locally, in addition to introducing new shrimp species previously not present in the Sultanate of Oman." The Director of the Aquaculture Development Department explained that the project includes a research and development centre and provides water recirculation technologies used in aquaculture, which helps increase biosecurity. Additionally, the project utilises high and advanced technologies in aquaculture, thereby reducing reliance on human labour in operations.
He indicated that the whiteleg shrimp farming project in the Wilayat of Shinas is considered one of the largest aquaculture projects in the Sultanate of Oman, featuring a shrimp hatchery, shrimp nursery ponds, shrimp grow-out ponds, a water treatment unit, a live feed production unit, a research and development centre, and water recirculation units, in addition to administrative offices and worker accommodation for the project.
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