Fisheries department imposes two-month ban on catching kingfish

If you’re a diehard fan of king fish meat, then feast on it all you can until August 15. After that date, you will have to wait for two months to have your daily fill.

This is because the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) will enforce a ban on catching kingfish with nets in the local waters, Gulf Times reported.

The ban will remain in effect until October 15 and is aimed at boosting the stock of kingfish in the country.

The move comes in implementation of a decision of the GCC Agriculture Affairs Committee, taken at its 23rd meeting in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) on June 16, 2012, which stipulates that the GCC member-states shall take all necessary measures to protect kingfish.

These include increasing the size of meshes on fishing nets and fixing a season when fishing (with nets) is banned.

The ban was first implemented in 2015 in line with the GCC decision. It helped achieve positive results in preserving the strategic stock of this migratory fish and manage the stock properly.

The ministry has urged fishermen and operators of fishing vessels to co-operate with it to enforce the ban effectively.

According to the MME, kingfish can only be caught using hooks and hand line, and the use of nets is prohibited during this period.

The MME Fisheries Department has also implemented a system to restrict fishing activities during the breeding season (April and May), involving some of the most of most important types of fish, including kingfish, since 2008.

Kingfish represents 13% of the overall fishing produce in Qatar. There are around 180 fishing vessels involved in catching kingfish, which accounts for 35% of authorised fishing vessels.

Courtesy: gulf-times.com