Dubai: A fast-growing population has created a huge gap between demand and supply of seafood in the UAE, tilting the balance in favour of unsustainable imports.
Statistics from the Ministry of Environment and Water reveal that in 2013, the UAE’s fish catch stood at 73,203 tonnes, but consumption of seafood reached around 210,000 tonnes, leaving a deficit of 136,797 tonnes.
Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, on Monday encouraged local fish farmers and businessmen to invest in aquafarming to bridge this gap without taxing the environment.
“This is not just a challenge for the UAE; it is a global problem. Food consumption, as with other countries, has increased compared to production. The UAE seafood demand and supply gap is increasing but we aim to bridge it through aquafarming,” Dr Bin Fahd told Gulf News during the opening of the first Aqua Middle East Conference and Exhibition…
Recent Comments