Pedro Guemes, a technical adviser from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, said small-scale fisheries are important for the Kingdom.
He said the UN organization is working closely with the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture to implement several initiatives in fisheries management.
The number of small fish farms in the Kingdom is around 26,000, Guemes said, adding FAO will implement projects that include training for farmers, capacity building, technology adoption, and wealth management.
The comments were made on the final day of the Saudi International Marine Exhibition and Conference in Riyadh — specifically in a session about establishing a regional fisheries authority covering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Saudi government earlier said it intends to lead the creation of the authority, identifying fisheries and aquaculture as a key driver in its economic diversification goals.
These efforts are not just for profit — the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia — has been addressing food security challenges over the years.
The World Bank said in an earlier report that “structural challenges” hamper food efforts in the region, as well as worsening climate change affecting local agriculture.
Countries in the Gulf are racing to address these challenges through several efforts, including attracting investments through global events such as SIMEC.
Copyright: Arab News © 2022 All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
