Hatchery production of orange-spotted grouper fingerlings

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) places food security at the top of its policy priorities and is proceeding to deliver the highest possible impetus for national food security and its sustainability. With a long coastline of about 1318 km, fisheries was expected to significantly contribute to the food security of UAE. However, contribution from the capture fishery has reached the maximum sustainable yields and is not expected to increase any further. As a result, the demand for seafood has outstripped the current supply from the sea catches and the gap is expected to widen further in the coming years. Aquaculture is expected to fill this gap and to relieve the pressure on wild stocks, allowing them to recover. At present there are plans to encourage the setting up of cost-effective, profitable and environmentally sustainable aquaculture farms to ensure a constant supply of sea food. The orange-spotted grouper is among the most overexploited fish species and being the most highly preferred fish species by the consumers, makes it the top potential candidate for aquaculture in the UAE.