Muscat-  Nine expatriate workers were arrested for violating Oman’s fisheries laws in three separate incidents along the Sultanate’s coasts between September 12 and 15, 2026.

The arrests were made by inspection teams from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR), represented by the Security and Safety Corporation, during regulatory patrols.

In the first incident, on September 14, an inspection team patrolling the waters of Sarab, near Mahout in Al Wusta Governorate, intercepted a fishing boat carrying four expatriate workers who were fishing for squid. The workers, boat and seized fish were detained.

On September 15, during a patrol along the Juwairah coast near Jalan Bani Bu Hassan in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, the team spotted four expatriate workers returning from the sea.

When the land patrol approached, the workers fled towards the sea, abandoning their fishing boat. The team seized the boat’s 60-horsepower engine and a quantity of shrimp, while legal procedures are being completed.

In a separate incident on September 12, an inspection team patrolling the waters off Duqm intercepted a 25-foot fishing boat carrying an expatriate worker who was fishing for sardines. The worker, boat and fish were seized.

MAFWR urged fishermen to comply with the marine fishing law and regulations.