As part of its efforts to support fishermen and the fisheries sector and increase the national income, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources will establish three fish collection centres and a market in South Sharqiyah governorate. 

An official at the ministry said, “The ministry has opened tenders inviting Omani companies to bid for setting up three fish collection centres. The last date for submission of bids is March 25.” 

He added, “The centres will come up in the wilayat of Jalaan Bani Bu Ali in South Sharqiyah. The ministry will also establish a fish market and investment projects in Ras al Hadd.”  

The ministry will also offer some lands for investment, such as establishing and managing the fish market in Ras al Hadd, renting a fish market in the wilayat of Ibri, and a fish market in the Port of Dibba.  

He added, “Construction work continues in the fish market in Al Maghsar area in the wilayat of Musannah in South Batinah. The ministry has completed 30 per cent of the project. The facility will include modern fish selling tables and area for cutting fish, an administrative office, an ice production unit and a store. The work also includes roofing the market, and providing air conditioning, creating channels for drainage, developing the market front and establishing commercial stores.” 

Talking about the ministry’s efforts, he said, “The ministry seeks to develop the marketing system by implementing a strategy to develop the fish sector in the sultanate, which includes its plan to establish new fish markets with modern specifications in various governorates.” 

Meanwhile, the sultanate’s fish production contributed RO276mn to the GDP until October 2020, according to the ministry. 

National Centre for Statistics and Information said fish landed through traditional methods in 2020 reached 755,308 tonnes compared to 555,209 tonnes in 2019.