Sheikh Khalifa Marine Research Centre delivers 600,000 Fish fingerlings to aquaculture companies in UAE

The Sheikh Khalifa Marine Research Centre has delivered 600,000 fish fingerlings to a number of aquaculture companies in the UAE, including Emirates National Fish Farming Company, as part of the UAE’s efforts to develop the sector as a means to support the nation’s food security plans.

The shipment is the first following the full renovation process the centre had undertaken to enhance its hatchery, with the initial batch comprising European seabream, of which a number will be raised in the aquaculture companies’ cages.

Fish Farm LLC – the company in charge of the management, operation, and maintenance of Sheikh Khalifa Marine Research Centre – is working to enhance operations to reach full operational capacity in one month, in time to support the upcoming fish farming season. The company has set a comprehensive plan to produce more than 7 million fish fingerlings of various species, including seabream, hammour, seabass and cobia, among others.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, said: “The development of fisheries is a top priority for the UAE. It is a key component in our plans to enhance our food security and increase our annual food production. The Sheikh Khalifa Marine Research Centre’s hatchery is an important instrument in achieving these objectives; the facility boasts an enormous capacity to produce nearly 30 million fish fingerlings per year in two stages. This demonstrates the hatchery’s great ability to supply aquaculture farms around the country with top-quality fingerlings in preparation for their breeding and entry to the market.”

“We are delighted to be delivering the first shipment of fingerlings from the fully renovated and developed hatchery to a number of aquaculture companies in the UAE , including Emirates National Fish Farming Company” Her Excellency added. “Work is ongoing to develop the hatchery and employ advanced technologies to enhance its productivity in the future, and increasingly grow our production capacity, while adhering to the highest sustainability standards. Preserving our resources from waste and protecting our marine environment are a non-negotiable commitment for us.”

In April 2021, Almheiri signed an agreement with Fish Farms LLC, represented by its CEO Bader bin Mubarak, to operate and maintain the Sheikh Khalifa Marine Research Centre’s hatchery in Umm Al-Quwain in accordance with the highest international standards. The MoU aims to boost the hatchery’s productivity and upgrade the quality of the fish fingerlings it produces to be supplied to aquaculture farms around the country – a central component of the UAE’s food security system.

WAM/Hassan Bashir