The total value of fish farming production in the Sultanate amounted to RO 2.5 million in 2019, an increase of 25%, according to the National Center of Statistics and Information.
Fisheries sector is one of the main sectors of economic diversification at the fore of non-oil producing sectors. The number of fish farming projects until the end of 2020 reached 18 projects, including: Seven approved commercial licences, 11 initial commercial licences at an investment cost of RO 987 million, projected to produce 435,397 tonnes of fish. Shrimp farming was the highest among the projects with four approved commercial projects and four initial commercial projects announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources at beginning of 2020.
The Sultanate is distinguished by its 3,165 km long coastline overlooking three seas: the Arabian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Each coastal area has its own characteristics that make it suitable for one method of cultivation without the other.
Musandam Governorate, for example, is suitable for floating marine cages projects due to the presence of protected and deep lagoons. As for the coast of the Al Batinah governorates, it is suitable for establishing marine cage projects, due to the high population density and the lack of many large land sites. It is also convenient for integrative farming projects in freshwater due to the presence of many vegetable farms. Muscat has marine sites suitable for marine cage projects as well. As for the coastal strip facing the Arabian Sea from Sharqiyah South to Dhofar, it has many coastal sites with vast areas that are good for establishing shrimp farming projects. In Dhofar, however, there are coastal sites with small areas in some protected lagoons, fit for the establishment of closed aquaculture projects for abalone, or other marine organisms.
The ministry, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has completed the preparation of the national strategy for aquaculture, in order to promote fish farming in a sustainable manner.
The plan took into account the creation of a kind of integrated farms through which owners of small and medium enterprises can be encouraged to expand aquaculture operations so that the area allocated for farming does not exceed 10% of the cultivated land area in order to preserve agricultural land.
Through Aquaculture Center, the ministry provides data and technical information by conducting applied research; a complement to the database and research that encourage and develop fish farming projects in the Sultanate. The ministry also works to support the sector by backing small fish farmers through preparing and equipping facilities, providing seed and fodder, providing technical services to fish farms and marketing the product in the final stages.
It also supports production requirements through the development of industries associated with aquaculture, including fish feed industry, manufacture of medicines and treatments, development of disease-resistant seed, and introduction of advanced technologies and equipment in fish farming.
