More than 100,000 juvenile fish will be released into Bahrain’s territorial waters throughout the year as part of an initiative led by the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE).
This was announced yesterday during the launch of the fish release season, which began with the first batch of juveniles being released into the sea.
The release was conducted in three phases at carefully selected marine sites, following scientific criteria that ensure suitable conditions for fish growth, feeding and protection from predators.
Oil and Environment Minister and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs Dr Mohammed Bin Daina was present at the event. Other attendees included SCE chief executive Amna Al Rumaihi and the council’s Marine Resources director general Mohammed Al Asam.
Dr Bin Daina underscored Bahrain’s commitment to enhancing food security through the launch of strategic initiatives aimed at developing and sustaining marine resources, enriching fish stocks, and increasing production in territorial waters.
Efforts include the release of approximately 100,000 juvenile fish according to a scheduled programme to be implemented throughout the year.
“I would like to commend the efforts of the National Mariculture Centre team, across all production stages, which led to the first release, carried out with high precision and professionalism,” he said.
“All necessary technical and environmental measures were taken to ensure the quality and health of the fish and the success of the release process. This includes the use of boats equipped with air pumps and oxygen cylinders to safely transport the juvenile fish from the centre to the designated release sites.”
The National Mariculture Centre continues to regularly produce fish fingerlings suitable for release into the sea, as well as species in demand in the local market, while providing optimal conditions throughout their growth stages. These efforts aim to reduce pressure on fisheries, increase fish stocks and support sustainable development goals.
The centre has achieved several milestones, including the first production of Meid fish in the GCC in 2023, followed by Bayah fish in 2024 and Shaam in 2025, strengthening Bahrain’s efforts to ease pressure on natural fish stocks through regular release programmes.
Over the years, Bahrain has stepped up efforts to boost food security through fish releases.
In April 2022, more than 100,000 fish including hammour, mullet, seabream were released as part of a strategic food security project. In July that year, around 20,000 farmed subaiti fish were released to enhance food security.
The GDN also reported in June 2024 that 85,600 juvenile subaiti, mead and grouper were released into the kingdom’s territorial waters.
Bahrain also has seasonal bans on catching certain species. This includes a ban on fishing safi, sheri, and andaq in April and May, and a kingfish ban from August to October.
There is also an annual six-month ban on shrimping, which last year took effect on February 1 and was lifted on August 1.
A ban on fishing, selling, or trading 18 species of juvenile fish, crustaceans and marine life is also strictly enforced by the authorities.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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