Saudi Arabia’s domestic fish consumption is estimated at more than 112,000 tons per annum, according to the head of the Fish Resources Researches Center, Madani Bin Asaad Kazzaz. Nearly half of this quantity is supplied locally, according to Al-Watan daily.
The number of fish and shrimp breeding farms, either using pens in the sea or tanks onshore, has been increasing steadily, reaching 149 in 2000, up from 120 farms in the end of 1999. Most are located along Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Shrimp farming has been particularly successful.
In a bid to further develop its fish industry, Saudi Arabia, where freshwater supply is very limited, has been using intensive recycling systems for tilapia production, often with irrigation water for agriculture, and has been experimenting with adapting technology for tilapia culture in seawater. It is also expanding shrimp culture along the Red Sea coast and is developing technologies for culture of selected marine finfish and shrimp.
The largest fish exporters to Saudi Arabia are Thailand, Indonesia Japan, Italy, the UAE and Oman. — (MENA Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
