Value of fish output in Oman tops $381.8mln

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Muscat: The total value of fish landed in the Sultanate of Oman reached OMR147.3 million by the end of March 2024, comprising an increase of 0.5 per cent, compared to OMR146.5 million during the same period in 2023, according to the preliminary statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The total quantity of fish landed by traditional fishing in the Sultanate of Oman till the end of March 2024 stood at 193,054 tonnes, up by 11.4 per cent, compared to the same period in 2023, when its total quantity was 173,267 tonnes.

The statistics also showed that the quantity of fish landed at the end of March 2024 through commercial fishing reached 23,826 tonnes, while the quantity of fish landed through coastal fishing reached 2,443 tonnes.

As for the same statistics, the highest quantity of fish landed through traditional fishing was recorded in the Governorate of Al Wusta, which reached 79,294 tonnes, followed by the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah, which recorded 60,734 tonnes.

The Governorate of Dhofar recorded a fish landing of 22,119 tonnes, while the Governorates of North and South Al Batinah recorded 14,898 tonnes. Fish landings in the Governorate of Musandam reached 9,969 tonnes, and Muscat recorded 6,039 tonnes.

NCSI statistics also showed that the largest quantity of fish landed by traditional fishing was the small pelagic fish, reaching 118,389 tonnes at the end of March 2024, compared to 88,784 tonnes at the end of March 2023, recording an increase of 33.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, the quantity of large pelagic fish landed at the end of March 2024 decreased by 22.7 per cent, reaching 39,959 tonnes, compared to 51,699 tonnes at the end of March 2023.

The quantity of demersal fish rose by 19.7 per cent at the end of March 2024, reaching 29,617 tons, compared to the end of March 2023, when the quantity reached 24,734 tonnes.

The number of sharks and rays landed recorded an increase of 10.9 per cent, reaching 1,284 tonnes at the end of March 2024, compared to 1,157 tonnes at the end of March 2023.

The crustaceans and molluscs landed till the end of March 2024 fell by 41 per cent, reaching 2,354 tonnes, compared to 3,994 tonnes at the end of March 2023, while the quantity of other fish landed reached 1,450 tonnes.