Doha: 31 years after the ban on shrimp fishing in Qatar’s seas is completed, fishermen have mixed reactions. While some argue that the ban has been a major factor in the growth of the country’s fisheries, another section argues that the order should be amended and regulations should be relaxed to allow authorized establishments to catch shrimp within a time limit.
Opponents of the decision to ban shrimp hunting say that the price of imported shrimp will be re-examined once the local product reaches the market to reduce over-hunting of other sea creatures.
In 1991, an order was passed banning the fishing of shrimp from local waters. Jassim Al Linjawi, a member of the Fishermen’s Committee, reported the local Arabic newspaper as saying that when shrimp are caught, a large number of small fish and fish fry are destroyed.
Shrimps are mostly found on muddy seabeds. Prawns can be caught only by spreading nets at a depth of 20 to 30 cm in the seabed. However, many small fish get caught in the net and die when shrimp are caught in this way. Following this, the Fisheries Department conducted a study with various departments and arrived at the ban.