Shrimp fishing season in the Arabian Gulf is to start Aug. 1 (Saturday), according to an official of the Ministry of Agriculture. The season, the official said, would end on Jan. 31 next year with the onset of the winter. The fishing season in the Red Sea has been specified between Sept. 1 and March 31, the official said. The ministry appealed to fishermen to comply with the regulations and directives and to use legal means in catching the shrimps. Last year, 10,254 ton of shrimps were netted in Al-Qatif and Jubail with the help of 646 boats. The quantity caught in the Red Sea – Jazan region – was 982 ton using 133 boats. The production of shrimps in fish farms in 2014 was 12,980 ton. Preparing a boat for the shrimp season costs SR20,000 to 25,000, according to a fisherman. “The new boats will need a crane costing SR9,000, machine SR11,000 to 15,000, wheels to pull the ropes SR250 to 550 for one unit of ropes, networks SR360 to 380 and bags for spinning SR475 riyals,” he said. Nets need to be replaced on a monthly basis as they get torn because of the pulling and casting at the rocky bottom of the sea. – SPA
