PM inaugurates Aquatic Research Center

Jan 26, 2020

In a bid to achieve food security and shore up its fish and shrimp production, Qatar has officially opened an Aquatic Research Center.

His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani inaugurated the center yesterday.

Spanning over an area of 110,000 square meters, the state-of-the-art Aquatic Research Center is located in Ras Matbakh in the Al Khor and Al Thakira Municipality.

The center comes as part of the country’s efforts to ensure food security and is well aligned with the Qatar National Development Strategy.

Aimed at enhancing the country’s marine wealth, the center will utilize sophisticated equipment and the latest technologies to conduct marine research, increase the productivity of domestic fisheries as well as preserve Qatar’s marine reserves.

The center comprises a dedicated unit for fish breeding with a production capacity of over 2 million larvae of fish a year.

The production capacity will gradually increase as it targets to reach over 20 million larvae of fish within three years, reported The Peninsula.

Additionally, laboratories at the center will allow researchers to delve into specifics of Qatar’s marine life such as water pollution, the proportion of minerals, marine environment soil, and biology, among others.

The Aquatic Research Center will also prove beneficial to farm owners, as they will receive training at the new, cutting-edge facility.

Minister of Municipality and Environment stressed that the Aquatic and Fisheries Research Centre, which was inaugurated today at Ras Matbekh in Al Khor, will play a strategic role in developing the State of Qatar's fisheries wealth. #QNA pic.twitter.com/5AXRU6Xe6k
— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) January 25, 2020

"The center has the latest technologies and will carry out research in cooperation with Qatar University on fisheries and how to create the best environment to ensure they thrive. There will also be research on how to save endangered fish," HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Eng Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie is quoted to have said by Qatar Tribune.

"Fish farming projects will also be linked to the newly-opened center in order to obtain the best results," the Minister added.

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