He said many species, which were available in the Bahrain waters, were now either not available or the catch was dwindling. He blamed the low yield to the large-scale land reclamation.
The drop in the catch is affecting fishermen, Hashim said and sought to know from Marine Resources Directorate spokesperson Jassim Al Qasser the measures being taken to preserve fish and secure the fishermen’s source of livelihood.
Al Qasser said the directorate was doing its best, including creating artificial planktons and breeding grounds to attract more fish into Bahrain waters.
Fish farming is being planned on a large scale. Fish will be bred in controlled surroundings and allowed to multiply. Once the fish grow and reach a certain size, they are released into the sea so that they have natural surroundings to move in. The plan is expected to increase fish yield and protect fishermen’s livelihood.
Efforts are on to have neighbouring GCC states permit Bahraini fishermen to use their waters for fishing.
Large-scale fish farming planned
BAHRAIN - The near extinction of certain fish species from the Bahrain markets and the sharp drop in the haul was taken up by Shura Council member Sayed Habib Makki Hashim at the weekly session yesterday.