Muscat: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR), in collaboration with the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI), organised the Second Regional Workshop on the Management of Kingfish Fisheries in Muscat. The event was held under the auspices of Eng Yaqoub bin Khalfan al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources for Fisheries, from September 23 to 25, with the participation of regional and international experts.
Abdulaziz al Marzouqi, Director General of Fisheries Resources Development and Vice-President of the Authority for Fisheries highlighted the economic importance of kingfish as a key commercial species in the region, targeted through various fishing methods, including gillnets and hook-and-line. However, he noted the decline in production due to unsustainable fishing practices across the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Gulf. The migratory nature of kingfish poses a challenge to effective management, necessitating cooperation and coordination among regional countries to implement unified management systems. This workshop, organised as part of the Fisheries Working Group’s annual programme, focuses on key objectives aimed at improving the management of kingfish populations. These include assessing the status of fisheries in the RECOFI area, developing a comprehensive kingfish database, and establishing governance frameworks for joint management and sustainable exploitation. Reflecting on past efforts, Al Marzouqi recalled the Sultanate's leadership in initiating joint management efforts for kingfish fisheries, dating back to 2014. He acknowledged the work of the Permanent Committee for Fisheries Wealth under the umbrella of the GCC, which laid the foundation for joint monitoring and management of kingfish stocks. The first phase of these efforts led to the creation of a joint database and technical analysis, with Oman hosting the electronic system.
In 2019, the Regional Fisheries Commission accelerated its efforts, advancing from merely monitoring fisheries developments to evaluating the status of fisheries based on scientific analysis models. This culminated in the implementation of joint management systems, including the annual ban on kingfish fishing from August 15 to October 15.
Given this distribution, he stressed that sustainable management of the species can only be achieved through collective regional efforts. He added the workshop aims to review stock data and propose amendments to current managemPhoto by: Salem Rashid al Ghazilient practices, with the results to be presented at the next RECOFI session in 2025.
Photo by: Salem Rashid al Ghazili
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