Genetic profiling of lobster must to boost catch
MUSCAT: There is long-term fall in spiny lobster catch as the annual harvest has declined from 2,000 tonnes in the 1980s to only about 485 tonnes in 2016.
To counteract this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has announced targeted regulations and recommendations that are primarily based on data from growth, mortality and catch.
However, the scientists who did a project on this said to achieve a comprehensive management for the species, a wide range of biological aspects, including demographic interactions of individuals and genetic structuring of the whole population, should be considered.
This will contribute in understanding variations within and between lobster stocks, and will enable the ministry officials to introduce regional management and improve possible discrete stocks.
The Sultanate in its Ninth Fiveyear Development Plan (2016-2020) has identified fisheries as a key sector for contributing to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In support of fisheries and aquaculture development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has conducted extensive surveys of potential sites, developed a comprehensive guide to better management practices for fisheries and aquaculture, and developed a national strategic plan.
With about 3,100 km of coastline and a home to more than 900 species of fish and crustaceans, the Sultanate has long been the largest seafood supplier in the Gulf.
The landing was around 280,000 tonnes in 2016, valued at more than RO 240 million.
The project, funded by The Research Council (TRC), scientists at the Centre of Excellence in Marine Biotechnology (CEMB) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), used stateof-the-art genetic tools to examine population structures of spiny lobster along the entire coastline of Oman.