MUSCAT: The fishermen villages which are being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources in the governorates, are among the infrastructure projects which aim to encourage Omani fishermen to preserve their occupation by providing them with the basic requirements in an effort to raise the fisheries sector’s contribution to the GDP and generate job opportunities for the national youth.
The fishermen village project in Masirah Island is one of the model villages of fishermen. With complete services and facilities, the fishermen village has a capacity to accommodate nearly 50 fishing boats made of permanent materials with funding from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
The project aims to localise fishermen from other coastal governorates to work in Masirah and reduce violations committed by unauthorised expat fishermen.
Yousif bin Hamad al Nahdi, Director of the fishermen village project in Masirah, said the project is aimed at providing infrastructure such as the residential buildings, health facilities, ice-maker units and refrigerated warehouses. The project is also aimed at attracting Omani fishermen, creating a model fishermen village with complete facilities and services, increasing the economic output of national fishermen by raising the quality of fisheries and providing a database of the quantity and quality of the catch.
In a statement to Oman New Agency (ONA), Al Nahdi said that the project will be set up on a 34,000 sq metre area. The first phase of the project involves 5 residential units for fishermen complete with services and facilities. He added that the second phase will be rolled out to the private sector and includes 4 residential units, an ice factory, maintenance workshops for the fishing boats, a fuel station and commercial stores. He noted that the implementation rate of the first phase has reached 80 per cent. — ONA
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