Oman to develop artificial coral reefs in Sur

The coral reefs will make it conducive for fish stock to multiply in the sea in the wilayat of Sur in South Al Sharqiyah governorate

Muscat: Oman will develop artificial coral reefs in Sur which it intends to use for making a marine environment suitable for increased productivity of fish stock.
 
Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO) will finance the development of these artificial coral reefs.

Dr Hamad bin Said bin Sulaiman Al Aufi, undersecretary of fisheries in the Ministry of Aagriculture and Fisheries, signed an agreement in this regard with Hamad bin Hamoud Al Hashmi, director general of OMIFCO, on Sunday.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will develop the coral reefs and the finances will be provided by OMIFCO. These coral reefs will be lowered in the sea in the wilayat of Sur in South Al Sharqiya governorate. This, according to a ministry official, will improve the marine environment making it conducive for fish stock to multiply and help fishermen in the wilayat.

Al Aufi, in a statement, said that the agreement marks the cooperation between the private and public sector to improve and develop fisheries in Oman. "This partnership actually started long back and the ministry was working to make the environment better for increased fish stock in the coastal areas which lacked natural components required by fish and their growth," he said.

The ministry has taken a major step forward by starting a huge project for artificial coral reefs in the region.

There would be a farm of artificial coral reefs and wilayats of Suwaiq in North Batinah governorate for which preparations have already begun, said Al Aufi, lauding the role of OMIFCO.

OMIFCO is an Indo-Oman partnership established a few years ago to construct, own and operate a modern, world class two-train ammonia-urea fertiliser manufacturing plant at the Sur Industrial Estate in Oman.

Hamad bin Hamoud Al Hashmi said that OMIFCO has entered into the partnership through a memorandum of understanding with the ministry on various other projects including some related to fisheries. He said that the latest agreement for FINANCING the development of artificial coral reefs in the wilayat of Sur was part of OMIFCO's corporate social responsibility.

The artificial coral reefs are a new method used in the coastal areas which have fewer natural corals. Some coastal areas of Oman lack places of refuge, breeding and feeding for fish because of the surrounding terrain.
Quoting Abdullah bin Hilal Al Balushi, director of development and management of fisheries resources at the ministry, Times of Oman had reported earlier that 5,200 units of artificial reefs were sent to various coastal areas off the Sea of Oman from 2009 to 2013.

According to the latest report of the ministry, 180 units of artificial coral reefs were lowered to the bottom of the sea only during 2013. Out of this 120 units went to the wilayat of Suwaiq in North Al Batinah governorate and 60 units in the wilayat of Bausher and Seeb of the Muscat governorate.