Muscat: Al Wusta Fisheries Industries (Oman Pelagic), a subsidiary of Fisheries Development Oman, has been awarded the certification for wild sustainable fishing from the world-renowned independent sustainability organisation, Friend of the Sea.
This certificate aims to protect the oceans and involve sustainable practices in all aspects of its business to safeguard the integrity of aquatic life.
Al Wusta Fisheries Industries went through a series of sustainability audits to achieve this. This accreditation ensures that Al Wusta operations follow the guidelines according to FAO, Regional Fishery Bodies and National Fisheries Authorities which provide for the non-overexploitation of wild fisheries resources.
Other criteria include no significant impact on the seabed, selective fishing gear (max 8 per cent discard), no bycatch listed as ‘vulnerable’ or worse in the IUCN Red List, waste and energy management and social accountability.
It is worth noting that Al Wusta Fish Industries was established as one of the initiatives of the national economic diversification programme “Tanfeedh”, which was established in line with the Oman Vision 2040, which seeks to increase the utilisation of Oman’s abundant fish resources, creating jobs, building in-country capacity and training opportunities for the national workforce
