DOHA: The Fisheries Resources Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment has announced that a number of sites will be allocated for the setting up of fish farms according to international specifications, a senior official at the Ministry has said.
The project is aimed at enhancing food security and supporting investment. It will be presented to investors and tenders will be invited.
“Such a project will increase local fish production and will offer all types of fish that the local market needs at any time. We have completed the technical specifications and conditions related to the tender in collaboration with Ministry of Economy and Commerce and expect the project to start soon,” said Mohamed Mahmoud Al Abdallah, head of fish farming section at the Ministry in a recent interview with Al Rayyan Channel (Taraheeb programme).
Qatar has an annual fish production of 14,000 tonnes, which covers 80 percent of local consumption. This project will cover the remaining 20 percent.
There will be three sites in the sea, each with an area of 900 hectares. Each site is expected to produce 2,000 tonnes annually.
There is also a project for shrimp farm on the coast in Al Shamal. “We will provide the small fishes to investors through Ras Matbakh project which is concerned with farming fish, and also supports marine research. The Ras Matbakh project can produce 10 million small fish, said Al Abdallah.
“Such a project will offer food security. The world now depends for 60 percent of its need on fish farms because of challenges faced in the sea, and because of decrease in production and higher demand. In Qatar, there is an increase in population and there is more demand for fish. These fish farms can offer any type of fish at any time regardless of the weather,” he added.
Replying a question on fish export, he said: “There is a special team responsible for exporting fish in case of surplus, but currently there is high demand for fish and export stopped a long time ago,” he added.
