No fish to fish!

Bahrain’s fish stock has declined almost 90 percent when compared to that of a little over a decade ago, a study says. The study has warned that the remaining 10pc will as well soon decline if urgent steps are not taken to preserve the marine resources. The study conducted by the Marine Resources Directorate within the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry, has attributed the sharp decline in fisheries wealth to a number of factors.

Among them the prominent one is the Karaaf method, which is heavy fishing near the seabed, especially to catch shrimp. The process kills many other marine species and small fish. According to the study, the second reason is overfishing. “More than 6,400 expatriate fishermen work under 1,700 professional fishing licenses obtained by the Bahraini fishermen. “This excessive fishing is dangerously affecting the Kingdom’s fish stocks.”

The experts have predicted many varieties of fish will soon vanish from Bahraini waters and the existing fish stocks will no longer be able to fulfill the consumption requirements of the market. The study revealed that the number of fish species seen in Bahraini waters has declined from 80 to four in the past few decades. “The Karaaf fishing method destroys the marine environment as it catches all species at once, not allowing the smaller ones to grow and reproduce.