13 October 2015
MUSCAT: Oman's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has unveiled plans for the establishment of a string of modern Fish Landing Centres at key locations along the Sultanate's lengthy coastline.
The landing facilities are proposed to serve small, but thriving, Omani fishing communities that fall outside the scope of fishery harbours located at various intervals along the coast. By developing suitably designed landing centres, the ministry's goal is to enable help local fishermen get their fresh catch to lucrative markets around Oman, as well as to commercialise their harvests through value-added processing and exports.
In all, eight new fish landing centres are envisioned in the current phase of the ministry's strategy to modernise the country's fishery infrastructure, which is critical to sustaining and developing the nation's pivotal fisheries sector.
Locations have been identified at Hellat al Ghanbah and Abu Baqrah (Al Batinah North Governorate), Al Sawadi (Al Batinah South Governorate), Qurun and Tiwi (Al Sharqiyah South Governorate) and Ayjah, Haql and Shaikh (Al Wusta Governorate).
As a first step, the ministry is preparing to appoint a number of consultants to undertake the feasibility study, design and construction supervision of each of these Fish Landing Centres. Contract awards are due to be announced before the end of this year, it is learnt.
The selected consultant will be required to prepare an optimum layout, as well as a conceptual master plan, with various options, for the phased for full-fledged development of the landing centre specific to the proposed location.
At Hellat al Ghanbah in Al Batinah North Governorate, for example, the ministry has proposed the establishment of landing centre facilities suitable for a tentative fleet size of around 60 FRP boats (skiffs). The needs of government and security departments, including the Royal Oman Police, Coast Guard, National Ferries Company, Ministry of Tourism, and Ministry of Transport and Communications, will have to be evaluated as well specific to that location.
Given their importance as nodal areas for fisheries activities in their respective locations, the Fish Landing Centres are proposed to be comprehensively designed and built.
On the water side, each centre will boast the usual protective structures such as seawalls, revetments, ramps for boat hauling, beach landing facilities, and navigation aids. Facilities on the shore-side will be elaborate, and include fish handling and auction halls with sun-shaded fish loading areas, as well as fish packing halls.
Also envisaged in the master-plan for each Fish Landing Centre are dedicated areas for industrial plots that can be leased to investors for setting up ice plants, chilled storage facilities, and related support infrastructure. Furthermore, the ministry sees opportunity for investment in ancillary fish industries for fish salting, fish drying/curling, fish canning, fish drying yards and solar dryers. Specific areas will also be set aside for boat repair yards, marine supply stories, fuel outlets and so on.
At Abu Baqrah in Shinas Wilayat, the ministry is weighing the development of a Fish Landing Centre suited for a tentative fleet size of around 150 fishing skiffs.
Tiwi in Sur wilayat is proposed to host a Fish Landing Centre capable of accommodating a fleet size of around 35 skiffs, while Qurun in Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan will feature a modest size facility large enough to cater to around 25 fishing skiffs, according to the ministry.
MUSCAT: Oman's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has unveiled plans for the establishment of a string of modern Fish Landing Centres at key locations along the Sultanate's lengthy coastline.
The landing facilities are proposed to serve small, but thriving, Omani fishing communities that fall outside the scope of fishery harbours located at various intervals along the coast. By developing suitably designed landing centres, the ministry's goal is to enable help local fishermen get their fresh catch to lucrative markets around Oman, as well as to commercialise their harvests through value-added processing and exports.
In all, eight new fish landing centres are envisioned in the current phase of the ministry's strategy to modernise the country's fishery infrastructure, which is critical to sustaining and developing the nation's pivotal fisheries sector.
Locations have been identified at Hellat al Ghanbah and Abu Baqrah (Al Batinah North Governorate), Al Sawadi (Al Batinah South Governorate), Qurun and Tiwi (Al Sharqiyah South Governorate) and Ayjah, Haql and Shaikh (Al Wusta Governorate).
As a first step, the ministry is preparing to appoint a number of consultants to undertake the feasibility study, design and construction supervision of each of these Fish Landing Centres. Contract awards are due to be announced before the end of this year, it is learnt.
The selected consultant will be required to prepare an optimum layout, as well as a conceptual master plan, with various options, for the phased for full-fledged development of the landing centre specific to the proposed location.
At Hellat al Ghanbah in Al Batinah North Governorate, for example, the ministry has proposed the establishment of landing centre facilities suitable for a tentative fleet size of around 60 FRP boats (skiffs). The needs of government and security departments, including the Royal Oman Police, Coast Guard, National Ferries Company, Ministry of Tourism, and Ministry of Transport and Communications, will have to be evaluated as well specific to that location.
Given their importance as nodal areas for fisheries activities in their respective locations, the Fish Landing Centres are proposed to be comprehensively designed and built.
On the water side, each centre will boast the usual protective structures such as seawalls, revetments, ramps for boat hauling, beach landing facilities, and navigation aids. Facilities on the shore-side will be elaborate, and include fish handling and auction halls with sun-shaded fish loading areas, as well as fish packing halls.
Also envisaged in the master-plan for each Fish Landing Centre are dedicated areas for industrial plots that can be leased to investors for setting up ice plants, chilled storage facilities, and related support infrastructure. Furthermore, the ministry sees opportunity for investment in ancillary fish industries for fish salting, fish drying/curling, fish canning, fish drying yards and solar dryers. Specific areas will also be set aside for boat repair yards, marine supply stories, fuel outlets and so on.
At Abu Baqrah in Shinas Wilayat, the ministry is weighing the development of a Fish Landing Centre suited for a tentative fleet size of around 150 fishing skiffs.
Tiwi in Sur wilayat is proposed to host a Fish Landing Centre capable of accommodating a fleet size of around 35 skiffs, while Qurun in Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan will feature a modest size facility large enough to cater to around 25 fishing skiffs, according to the ministry.
© Oman Daily Observer 2015
