These committee is considered as a link between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources and the fishermen’s society
Committees’ main role to improve services for the fisheries sector and suggest development projects
Fishes production in Muscat Governorate achieved an increase of 28% in 2023
Workshops, courses and lectures to develop fishermen’s skills
Sea Traditions Committees in Muscat Governorate play effective roles in Omani maritime heritage’s preservation and the fishing sector development. Through its participation in decisions’ formulation and disputes’ agreement, the committee contributes to guarantee the fisheries’ sustainability and improve the fishermen’s situations. It ensures this vital sector’s sustainability. There are 30 fishing committees in the coastal wilayats of the Sultanate of Oman. Five of them are in the Muscat Governorate, in Muscat, Muttrah, Quriyat, Seeband Bawshar.
On the committee’s effective role, Yasser bin Saud Al-Zadjali, the Municipal Councilmember and Quriyat representative, said: “The Sea Traditions Committee is considered the link between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources and the fishermen society to form an effective partnership to regulate fishing according to the ethnicities and agree disputes that may occur between fishermen. By this committee’s periodic meetings, the challenges and problems face the fishing sector are discussed and recommendations and proposals are come up that contribute to solve the challenges and sustain fisheries.”
Membership Standards and Stipulations
Engineer Issa bin Mohammed Al Rawahi, manager of the Fisheries Development Department in Muscat, said that according to the ministerial decision related to the Sea Traditions committees’ list, each coastal wilayat’s wali chairs its sea traditions committee, and these committees are reconstituted every four years. The committee consists of the municipal council member chosen by the wali based on his experience in sea ethnicities, the Fisheries or Fish Development Departments’ manager, many fishermen with lawful fishing licenses, are presentative of fisheries-related activities who has a lawful license, and ROP Coast Guard Command officer or police station officer if the Coast Guard is not present.
Membership Period and Stipulation
The ministerial decision relating to the regulation of sea traditions committees specified the term of their membership to be four years starting from the date of issue of the ministerial decision to form them. A member cannot run for more than two consecutive sessions unless two full terms have passed since his membership’s end. Applicants from fishermen and workers in fisheries sector are required to have familiarity with the sea ethnicities, it is preferable for them to be able to read and write, they have professional experience in fishing or related activities, and have a wish to volunteer. The applicant age must be between 30and 75 years, he must be a full-time employee in the profession, and must not have been convicted of the fishing law violation or any honour crime.
For his part, Al-Zadjali indicated that the Sea Traditions Committee in Quriyat is holding its meetings in the wali’s office under the chairmanship of Quriyat wali, in the attendance of ROP Coast Guard Command officer, the municipal councilmember, the committee members, and the Fisheries Development Department manager, who is the committee’s rapporteur, where the topics, demands related to the fisheries sector and development projects in the wilayat are discussed.
Specializations and Roles
The Sea Traditions Committee has various functions, including proposals and recommendations’ submission to develop fisheries, an opinion expression on relevant laws and regulations, and disputes’ solution between fishermen according to local laws and ethnicities. This committee works to improve services for the fisheries sector, support fishing traps’ supervision, and enhance the efficiency of fishing ports and landing sites’ operation. It also supports efforts to keep the traditional fishing profession, submit proposals to develop the fishing fleet and infrastructure, and enhance fish marketing by cooperation with fishermen and traders. Additionally, the committee participates in events and activities related to the fishing sector.
Statistics and Achievements
Al-Rawahi stated that fishery statistics in 2023 showed an increase in fish production in Muscat Governorate by 28% compared to the previous year. There are 2,708 artisanal fishing boats and 3 wooden ships. The small sal and Sahwa queen fishes fishesare the most productive.
Al-Rawahi added that the Sea Traditions Committee in Muscat achieved a notable achievement by reviewing the Haramil port construction, while the committee in Muttrah works reviewing a tender for Aint Darsait Port. In Bawshar, the committee is submitting a proposal to fishermen to establish a new port. All committees also contribute to solve fishermen’s disputes, and work teams have been formed to follow up on field works during 2024.
Challenges and Suggested Solutions
The Committee faces notable challenges relevant to climate change, marine pollution, and technological development in fishing. Although these difficulties, the committee is working hard to find innovative solutions to preserve fisheries. On the other hand, Al-Rawahi stated that the modern equipment use has contributed to improve fish exports, as these tools contribute to increase the sector’s benefit from fish resources. He confirmed that artisanal fishing still constitutes 89% of fish production in Oman.
Regarding the fishermen challenges, Al-Rawahi stressed that the high fuel prices are a main obstacle, as the government supports only 20% of fishermen’s consumption. The fisherman`s need to dive deeply to catch fish desirable to the consumer. Additionally, the equipment and modern fishing boats’ cost constitutes a large financial problem compared to the fishermen income, which forces them to rely on artisanal fishing by small boats. Al-Rawahi indicated that the marketing culture has changed, as demand for electronic markets and buying from commercial centers has increased in recent years, while local markets’ sales have reduced.
Regarding sustainability, Al-Rawahi stressed that the Ministry, in cooperation with the competent authorities, work to preserve fish stores by penalties’ implementation to violators, and committees contribute to reduce these violations. Regarding the challenges’ address, Al-Zadjali explained that the committee in Quriyat always addresses various issues in this sector, finds appropriate solutions for them, the fish market work’s organization there, implementing what are received from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, each according to its specialization.
A Motivating Environment and Continuous Communication
Al-Rawahi indicated that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources puts awareness-raising and participatory management at its efforts to develop the fishery sector, via guidance programs and Sea Traditions committees. The Ministry pursues to enhance community participation in fisheries’ preservation and develop it sustainably.
Al-Rawahi clarified that the Ministry does great efforts for the beneficiaries, including these committees, social media, local newspapers, and direct text messages to fishermen. It is done in coordination with the competent authorities to awareness and guidance. Al-Rawahi added that the Ministry involves fishermen indecision-making by laws and decisions’ presentation to these committees to add their proposals, and introductory seminars’ coordination on these decisions. Al-Rawahi confirmed that these committees in the coastal wilayats provide a motivating environment to fishermen that ensure supreme benefit from fisheries. As well as, their support for artisanal fishermen through workshops and training courses. These committees offered them with fishing boats, engines, and fish storage boxes.