Fish landings rise 36.6% by February end in Oman

Muscat: Traditional fish landings in Oman during the January-February period rose by 36.6 per cent to 50,094 tonnes compared to 36,661 tonnes during the same period last year. This represents a 39.6 per cent growth in value which reached OMR43.58 million as against landings worth OMR31.23 million reported by the end of February last year, according to data available in the recent report published by the National Centre for Statistics & Information (NCSI).
In February alone, fish landings by traditional fishery stood at 25,862 tonnes valued at OMR19.1 million.
The Governorate of Al Wusta received the highest landings by traditional fisheries at 12,146 tonnes marking a 17.0 per cent year on year increase during the first two months, followed by the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah at 11,827 tonnes and the Governorate of Dhofar at 10,371 tonnes of landings.
Significantly, the Governorate of Muscat recorded a whopping 110 per cent increase in landings in the first two months by traditional fishing taking the figure to 3,756 tonnes compared to 1,788 tonnes achieved last year.
The Governorate of North Al Batinah saw landings rise by 65.4 per cent to 7,657 tonnes while the Governorate of Musandam posted a 35 tonnes growth at 4,337 tonnes.
Large Pelagic fish formed the major chunk of landings at 18,104 tonnes, which marked a 94 per cent increase over last year figures. Small Pelagic fish came in at second with 17,061 tonnes landings, followed by Demersal fish at 12,060 tonnes.
The period recorded landings of 1,578 tonnes of Sharks and Rays species, and 454 tonnes of Crustaceans and Molluscs. There had been a 415 per cent rise in landings of unidentified fish species at 837 tonnes.
However, landings by coastal fishing declined 37.3 per cent to 810 tonnes while landings by commercial fishing went down by 76.9 per cent to 45 tonnes in the first two months of the current year.