The Ministry of Municipality and Environment is all set to float tenders for fish farming projects aiming at adding 6,000 tonnes of fish per year to the existing production of Qatar.
“Lands have been earmarked to set up aquatic farms and now works are under way and we have entered into final phase to auction them to private sector in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce,” said Mohamed Saeed Al Mohannadi, Director of Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Municipality in a talk show of Qatar TV.
He further said that Aquatic Research Centre in Ras Matbakh, the mother project for aquatic farms in the country, was expected to be completed next month.
Ninety-six percent of the construction works of the centre has been completed. The centre will hatch larvae and supply fishling to farms for raising. The centre meant to achieve self-sufficiency in fish in the country and to conduct studies and researches related to marine life.
According to the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and contractor, the centre will be ready for operations by the end of March.
"Our ambitious plan is to produce fish in surplus not only to meet the demands of the country as per the five-year strategy of 2017-21. Following the strategy, the Department planned to encourage the private sectors for fish farming," he said.
"We coordinated with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce for the allocation of lands for aquatic farms. We are in final phase to handover the projects to investors," Al Mohannadi added.
"Now we focus on production of fish. Private companies will be given licences for fish farming after auction and the auction will be held this year. Then some projects will start this year, others by next year. But all these projects will begin within next five years and the production of fish will start within this five year plan," he said.
As per the chalked-out plan, Qatar will be self-sufficient in prawns as it has been banned on its catching since 1990s. The demand of prawns in local market is about 1,000 tonnes annually. Prawn farms will produce according to domestic needs.
All aquatic farms are expected to produce about 6,000 tonnes of fish annually. About half of the production will contribute to make Qatar self-sufficient while the remaining will be surplus that could be exported.
“The capacity of Aquatic Research Centre will be 2.5 million larvae of Hamour, Safi and Sulatiti in phase-I,” said Mohamad Mahmoud Al Abdullah, Head of Fish Farming Section at the Ministry.
The Center will also produce prawns. Eight separate tanks have been developed for prawns, said Al Abdullah.
