Ban on shrimping will be strictly enforced: Governor

Manama : The authorities will coordinate more to ensure that the ban on shrimping is not breached.

This was announced yesterday while Capital Governorate Governor Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa received Bahrain Fishermen’s Society (BFS) President Waheed Al Dossary and representatives of local fishermen.

In the meeting, the governor discussed with the fishermen the increasing phenomenon of breaching the ongoing six-month ban on shrimping, which came into effect on March 15. Shaikh Hisham pledged that the governorate will coordinate with all the concerned authorities to ensure that the ban is not breached and that violators are penalised.

He noted the importance of protecting marine resources and the direct effects it has on the Kingdom’s fish stock.

The meeting came at the same time that the majority of the House of Representatives passed an urgent proposal, demanding the Government to take immediate measures to combat the rampant violation of the shrimping ban.

As reported earlier, the ban is annually implemented since 1980, to preserve shrimp population and reproduce.

Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf issued Resolution 27 of 2017 on March 7, banning shrimping and the sale of fresh shrimps for six months. 

The minister had affirmed that violators will be subjected to penalties mentioned in Law 20 of 2002 including the confiscation of ships and equipment used in shrimping during the ban.

However, local fishermen complained about fresh shrimps being caught, sold and smuggled outside the country during the ban period by organised network. They repeatedly demanded more deterrent actions to combat the phenomenon.