Muscat: The shrimp fishing season began in various coastal villages in the governorates of South Al Sharqiyah, Dhofar and Al Wusta and will continue for three months until the end of next November.

Salem bin Sultan Al Arimi, Director of the Department of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources in Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, explained that the shrimp fishing season is one of the important seasons that Omani fishermen rely on, as the total production of the Sultanate of Oman from artisanal shrimp fishing in the 2023 season amounted to 2,761 tonnes, including 2,024 tonnes caught in Al Wusta Governorate, and 717 tonnes in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, while exports amounted to 2,680 tonnes, worth OME6.6 million.

He added that in the 2022 season, the Sultanate of Oman’s total shrimp production amounted to 1,721 tonnes, led by Al Wusta Governorate with a landing quantity of 1,319 tonnes, followed by South Al Sharqiyah Governorate with 402 tonnes.

He pointed out that the amount of shrimp caught from artisanal fishing in 2023 was good and of excellent economic value for fishermen and other beneficiaries of the fisheries sector, noting that the price of one kilogram of shrimp ranges from OMR2 to 4, depending on the quantities and supply and demand.

He stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources has directed its specialists to advise fishermen to adhere to the regulations and laws that would preserve the sustainability of this resource, such as using fishing gear and avoiding the use of prohibited fishing nets in order to ensure the sustainability of this important economic resource.

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