The students attending an food awareness programme on World Food Day event held in the Ezdan Mall, Gharaffa, yesterday. Pic: Qassim Rahmatullah / The Peninsula
DOHA: A large stock of kingfish is expected to hit local market within few days as a partial ban on fishing of widely demanded species lifted yesterday.
“The prices of kingfish will go down significantly within a couple of days in local market due to resumption of supply in large quantity,” Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Dehaimi, Director of Fish Wealth Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment told The Peninsula on the sidelines of an event held yesterday to observe World Food Day at Ezdan Mall.
He said that there was a partial ban on catching kingfish during the breeding season from August 15 to October 15, allowing only to wider-holes nets to catch the fish. “A large stock of kingfish is expected to reach local market this year because the strategic reserve of the fish has increased due to ban during breeding season,” said Al Dehaimi.
He said that according to the statistics of Fish Wealth Department the strategic reserve of kingfish had increased during past four years.
“Qatar’s self-sufficiency in fish production has reached 80 percent. With the implementation of under-development projects like fish-farming on floating cages and Aquatic Research Centre in Ras Matbakh, the country will become almost self-sufficient in fish and prawn production in coming years,” said Al Dehaimi.
He said that Qatar will keep importing some types of fish for the varieties and as per the tastes of expatriates.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in collaboration with a number of entities from public and private sectors to observe the World Food Day under a theme ‘Zero Hunger’ at the Ezdan Mall in Al Gharafa.
A number of local agricultural and animal farms are also participating in the three-day event which will conclude tomorrow. Various programmes are being held to educate school students about importance of food such as to reduce the wastage. Primary school students and those from Dreama Center to participate in programmes.
Experts from the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar Red Cresent Society and Food Saving Program (Hifzunnima) gave presentations on the importance of foods and how to combat hunger.
