Page 22 - FULL YEAR BOOK 2021

Bahrain

and the government represented by the
Directorate of Fisheries, has established Production (tonnes) of some agricultural commodities in
the National Mariculture Centre (NMC), to
undertake applied research in the field. Bahrain (2017-2018)
The NMC is the source of marine finfish
seed for all Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) countries and other member Item 2017 Flag 2018 Flag
countries of the Regional Commission
for Fisheries (RECOFI). The country can Bananas 991 Im 996 Im
likewise earn foreign exchange through
the export of aquatic products. In the Cabbages and other brassicas 764 Im 763 Im
long-run, investment in the development Carrots and turnips 359 Im 362 Im
of an aquaculture sector is expected to
contribute to the food security and self- Cauliflowers and broccoli 462 Im 461 Im
sufficiency of Bahrain.
Chick peas M M
Increased Fisheries Production Cucumbers and gherkins 548 Im 546 Im
According to FAO, the Kingdom of
Bahrain has a coastline of 950 km, Dates 10800 Im 10682 Im
a continental shelf of approximately
10 000 km2, and a land territory of Eggplants (aubergines) 1420 Im 1456 Im
around 760 km2. It has a vast population Fruit, fresh nes 5464 Im 5564 Im
which includes a significant number of
non-nationals. The marine environment Grapes 150 Im 151 Im
is the most preferred location for
aquaculture production in Bahrain. Lemons and limes 1083 Im 1088 Im
The production through aquaculture
is expected to increase in the coming Lettuce and chicory 771 Im 771 Im
years, due to the increasing demand Nuts nes 350 Im 350 Im
for seafood. According to the Central
Informatics Organization (CIO), fishery Okra 817 Im 814 Im
production in 2016 accounted for 971.379
MT and has seen a growth in accounting Potatoes 68 Im 68 Im
for 9875.089 MT in 2018. There are two
major fish markets in Bahrain: Manama Pumpkins, squash and gourds 548 Im 537 Im
Central Market, and Jidhafs Market. Tomatoes 4083 Im 4114 Im
According to studies, Manama Central
Market accounted for 64.7% of the total Vegetables, fresh nes 4803 Im 4875 Im
landings, while Jidhafs Market accounted
for 12.6% of total landings. Currently, Watermelons 194 Im 194 Im
the produce harvested from NMC is
marketed locally. Significant numbers Fisheries Import is Leading the International Trade Centre (ITC) in 2019,
of Sobaity bream, gilthead bream, and Market in Terms of Value Norway, Saudi Arabia, India, and Pakistan
grouper juveniles have been exported are the major exporters of fisheries in the
to all the countries in the region. Due to The value of fish and fishery imports Bahrain market. Norway alone accounts
the scarcity of freshwater resources in was USD 46.7 million, with exports valued for the highest share of the export
Bahrain, all efforts have been diverted at USD 38.9 million in 2018, as per the consistently over the years followed by
towards marine species, and there are Food and Agriculture Organization. The India and Saudi Arabia. This has shown
minimal land-based cultural activities average per capita annual consumption a significant potential for fisheries and
carried out in tanks. of fish in 2016 was at 11.6 kg. The shrimp aquaculture export to Bahrain.
fishery is traditionally the most important
fishery in Bahrain. Although total catches
have shown a general increasing
trend in the species composition of
landings has changed significantly with
declines in catches of some originally
targeted species (e.g. groupers) being
compensated by increases in the catch
of crustaceans (shrimps and crabs)
and of other finfish. According to the

20 Arab Agriculture 2021

White Section 1-48.indd 20 4/20/21 2:51 PM