An MME official releasing baby black seabream fish into the sea.
Doha: The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has intensified efforts to safeguard strategic fish stock in Qatari waters from overfishing.
“The municipal inspectors intensified inspection campaign to catch the violators and seize prohibited hunting tools,” said Director of Aquatic Research Centre at Ras Matbakh, Ibrahim Salman Al Mohannadi, while talking to a Qatar Radio programme on Monday.
He said that the law applies to every individual whether he/she is fishing by profession or hobby.
“The violator invites fine ranging between QR2,000 to QR10,000 for fishing by prohibited tools, in restricted places and during the season when fishing is banned due to breeding season according to some provisions of the law for regulating fishing practice in the country,” said Al Mohannadi.
He said that the reconciliation could be made in the first time of the violation, but in case of repetition the violator will have to pay a fine and if found insisting could be referred to the court for more severe punishment.
“Hunting kingfish by using nets in Qatari waters is prohibited from August 15 to October 15, in order to preserve the fish stocks as it is considered the breeding season of the fish during this period, it is also forbidden to transport nets for hunting kingfish in fishing vessels.” To recall, the patrolling of Al Khor Unit of the Natural Reserve Department seized nylon net of three layers for fishing at Arida area last month.
Speaking about the State's plan to increase the strategic stock of fish in Qatari waters, Al Mohannadi said that Aquatic Research Centre is working on farming and releasing baby fish of four types of local fish and prawn in sea. Baby fish are being released in Qatari waters under a programme of Second National Development Strategy of 2018-22 of fish sector which aims at increasing the self-sufficiency of fish production in the country.
He said that under the programme baby fish will also be provided to fish farming projects which are now under construction with the support of the center.
“Fish Affairs Department conducted a study to assess species of fish affected by over-fishing. As per the results of the survey, the Aquatic Research Centre planned to farm baby fish to support the strategic fish stock and supply local fish farming projects.”
He said that now the center is focusing on farming baby fish of Hamour, Al Sham, Al Subait, Al Safi and prawns.
“First, we released 25,000 baby fish of brownspotted grouper (locally called Hamour) is north coastal area. Over 46,000 baby fish of black seabream (locally called Al Sham) waging between 5 to 10gm were released in Qatari sea water (Umm Al Houl, Al Bashira and Banana Island) on Monday,” said Al Mohannadi.
He said that this is the fifth batch of release which accounted a total of 172,000 baby fish of Al Sham released in Qatari sea. “The Ministry targets to release about 200,000 baby fish of Al Sham to increase the strategic stock of fish in the sea.”
