A whopping 250,000 tons of aqua farming is projected by the year 2030, thanks to the vast coastal areas in the region, complemented with highly proactive measures and climatic conditions of Oman. This was announced by a key official at the Directorate General of Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth at the 5-day workshop on the development of the aquaculture sector in the Sultanate being held at the Crowne Plaza here.
"With the highly favorable climatic conditions and governmental support, the aqua-farming is expected to reach a staggering 250,000 tons by the year 2030", Dr Fahad Saleh Ibrahim, Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth- Aquaculture Centre, Sultanate of Oman said. In his remarks at the 1st session, Dr Fahad said, the workshop can act as a catalyst in attracting more investors from the United States.
In his opening remarks, the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy praised the efforts of the Ministry and the Government as a whole in coordinating with various sectors for conducting the workshop and for the continuous support that the local government has been providing. Titled "Techniques and investment Opportunities in Oman's Emerging Aquaculture Sector", the program is a part of the US State Department's Funded Programs. "This is a part of the Funded Programs of the Embassy and last year it was Traffic Safety. This current one will be followed by another funded program in October which will be on Blood Disorders", Emily Shaffer, Economic and Commercial Officer said.
Saood al Habsi, director General, Fisheries Research said the Sultanate has untapped potential in terms of aqua-farming and it can play a key role in the Oman's economy in the next 10 to 20 years. Dr Lorenzo Juarez, Past President and Fellow World Aquaculture Society and Deputy Director, Office of Aquaculture, NOAA Fisheries delivered his speech on US aquaculture, and Michael Schwarz (WAS) spoke on Global aquaculture later on followed by discussion session.
Oman Daily Observer
16 September
