MUSCAT - Ten new locations have been identified in Oman’s Seeb wilayat to cultivate artificial coral reefs as part of a project to raise the country’s fish stock. These are in addition to the existing sites in the area developed by the Ministry of Fisheries.“The ministry has adopted this plan based on scientific studies and international experience. The artificial reef sites attract fish and increase fish stock and their multiplication by providing them with food, shelter and protection,” a spokesman for the ministry said.
Also, they do not have any negative impact on the marine environment and are not affected by currents, he added. Sign boards have been displayed at the existing reef sites so that fishermen can access them easily.
“The artificial reef sites are very efficient and highly productive,” Salim bin Darwish al Hasnani, Director of Fisheries Department in Seeb, said.
ravindranath@khaleejtimes.com
