Council of Representatives set to debate decline in fish stocks and rising prices

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The Council of Representatives is set to hold a general debate on the concerning decline in fish stocks and the subsequent sharp rise in fish prices in local markets on Tuesday during its weekly session.

Ten MPs, led by MP Muneer Suroor, have requested this debate to seek clarification and action from the government.

Joining MP Suroor are MPs Dr Hisham Al Asheri, Najeeb Al Kawari, Jaleela Al Sayed, Mohammed Al Aliwi, Mohsen Al Asboul, Jalal Kazim, Bader Al Tamimi, Khalid Buanq, and Hanan Al Fardan.

Factors

Their request highlights a number of factors contributing to the problem.

They point to a shortage of fish and inflated prices in local markets, noting the increasing dominance of frozen and imported fish, which they say is displacing local catches.

Concerns have also been raised regarding the significant, and seemingly undocumented, export of Bahraini fish.

The MPs suggest that the involvement of foreign workers in the fishing and sales process may be impacting the quantity of fish available in local markets.

Furthermore, they are concerned about the unauthorised export of fish and other marine resources, occurring without official permits and outside the knowledge of border control authorities.

Finally, the disappearance of certain fish species from local markets, despite the presence of numerous fishermen, is another key issue raised in their request for the debate.