A review of the status and development of Kuwait’s fisheries

Al-Husaini, M.; Bishop, James M.; Al-Foudari, H.; Al-Baz, A.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.07.053

Cited by 40 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Records from a shrimp trawler between 2010 and 2011 showed that six species of sharks and rays (including Arabian carpet shark ( Chiloscyllium arabicum, Hemiscyllidae), Bleeker's whipray ( Himantura bleekeri, Dasyatidae) and scaly whipray ( Himantura imbricata, Dasyatidae), cownose stingray ( Pastinachus sephen, Dasyatidae) and sharpnose stingray ( Himantura gerrardi, Dasyatidae) were caught and discarded (Chen et al., ). Shark and ray by‐catch in the Kuwaiti shrimp fishery is estimated at around 4,000 mt per year (Al‐Husaini, Bishop, Al‐Foudari, & Al‐Baz, ). In fact, a detailed shrimp by‐catch study between 1987 and 1989 suggested that of the 34,750–55,500 tons of by‐catch quantities, more than 98% were discarded with the discarded fish comprising of 14% carpet sharks and 3% guitarfishes (Ye, Alsaffar, & Mohammed, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reports suggest that there are limited recreational fisheries in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and Iraq, while they might be more developed in Pakistan with various types of fishing including billfish and tuna fishing, sport fishing and handline fishing, as well as in the UAE where game fishing for large pelagic species and demersal fishing are becoming important (Al‐Abdulrazzak & Pauly, ; De Young, ). The number of recreational boats in Kuwait is believed to exceed 30,000 (Al‐Husaini et al., ). In Saudi Arabia, data from 1996 indicated that 2,528 boats operated in the Gulf, while 2,446 boats operated in the Red Sea (Sakurai, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These have provided new legislations dealing with input controls (i.e. licensing requirements, gear restrictions or prohibitions, seasonal bans) that may have indirectly benefited sharks and rays (Al‐Abdulrazzak & Pauly, ; Alhabsi, ; Al‐Husaini et al., ; FAO 2013b). However, not all countries have developed and implemented management measures for the protection of these species.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While some countries like Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan seemingly have an underdeveloped fishery, overall there is a downward trend in landings (Esmaeili, ; MHUEAT ; Tesfamichael & Pitcher, ). Many of the regional fisheries have been described as either fully exploited or overexploited for over a decade with indications that past and current fishing effort levels on some target species are either close to maximum sustainable yield or exceeding it (Alhabsi, ; Al‐Husaini et al., ; Bonfil, ; Bruckner et al., ; Chiffings, ; De Young, ; ESCWA ; Fouda, Hermosa, & Al‐Harthi, ; Jin et al., ; Kotb et al., ; Morgan, ; Sheppard et al., ; Shotton, ; Valinassab et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Elasmobranch fisheries in the Arabian Seas Region: Characteristics, trade and management

Jabado

Spaet

2017

Fish and Fisheries

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The Arabian Seas Region plays an important role in the global landings and trade of sharks and rays. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen, two countries with stark socio‐economic differences, serve as major regional trade hubs for shark and ray products and four countries (Oman, Pakistan, UAE and Yemen) supply nearly 11% of dried fin exports to Hong Kong. Yet, little information is available on the characteristics of this trade and the fisheries contributing to it. Here, we review the fisheries characteristics, trade, utilization and distribution chain of sharks and rays in 15 countries of the Arabian Seas Region based on published and grey literature, landing surveys, field observations and interviews with fishermen and traders. Although regional shark fisheries remain mostly artisanal, reported shark and ray landings represent 28% of the regional total fish production, reaching 56,074 mt in 2012 (7.3% of total world catches), with Iran, Oman, Pakistan and Yemen ranking as the primary catchers. Utilization and distribution patterns are complex, vary between landing sites and countries, and remain unmonitored. Based on widespread over‐exploitation of most teleost fisheries, current exploitation levels for most sharks and rays are potentially unsustainable. The situation is exacerbated by limited research and political will to support policy development, the incomplete nature of fisheries data, as well as insufficient regulations and enforcement. A better understanding of shark and ray fisheries will be key for regulating trade, promoting conservation and developing management initiatives to secure food security, livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in the region.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Elasmobranch fisheries in the Arabian Seas Region: Characteristics, trade and management

Jabado

Spaet

2017

Fish and Fisheries

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“…Since the decreased discharge of the Shatt Al‐Arab, due to multiple dams on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Turkey, the salinity of the northern Gulf has increased (Al‐Said et al, ; Al‐Yamani, Yamamoto, Al‐Said, & Alghunaim, ). Shiery has expanded its range northward into Kuwait Bay (Al‐Husaini, Bishop, Al‐Foudari, & Al‐Baz, ), and landings have increased considerably.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gargoortrap fishery in Kuwait, catch rate and species composition

et al. 2018

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Summary Kuwait's fisheries include shrimp trawlers, gill nets, intertidal stake nets, and demersal fish traps, known locally as gargoor. The gargoor fishery used to be the nation's most important in terms of value and landings volume, but declines in catch rates have reduced its ranking. This paper describes the status of the gargoor artisanal fishery. The main landings place was sampled for catch and effort, and fish length‐frequency data from May 2003 to December 2005. The catch rate, monthly average number of boats operating, and the number of gargoor cleared were estimated for dhow boats fishing in Kuwait's waters and international waters, and speed boats operating in Kuwait waters only. Over the duration of the study period, the speedboat catch rates were higher than those of dhow boats, i.e., 3.7 kg/trap‐pull vs. 2.6 and 2.5 kg/trap‐pull for dhows fishing in Kuwait's territorial waters and international waters, respectively. The grouper, Epinephelus coicodes, was the main species captured, contributing 19.3% and 17.8% to the dhow catch in Kuwait waters and international waters, respectively. The catch rates by dhow boats declined from an average of 4.7 kg/trap‐pull in 2003 to 2.7 kg/trap‐pull in 2005 representing a 41% decrease. If this decreasing catch rate trend continues, then fishing effort should be reduced to allow stock recovery. It is recommended that the number of gargoor fished in Kuwaiti waters should be limited and that several no‐fishing zones be established to ensure the minimum spawning stock biomass and preserve biodiversity for all fisheries.

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Alleviating Growth and Recruitment Overfishing through Simple Management Changes: Insights from an Overexploited Long‐Lived Fish

et al. 2021

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Growth and recruitment overfishing can co-occur when a fishery is subjecting small and immature fish in conjunction with adult fish to excessive exploitation rates such that it reduces the spawning biomass to the point where recruitment is significantly impaired. Such conditions are generally evident in open-access fisheries and are especially detrimental to long-lived species as they reach maturity at older ages. Here, we investigate the conditions of a longlived lutjanid, Malabar Blood Snapper Lutjanus malabaricus, in Kuwait waters, for which catches declined by about 95% between 1995 and 2009 with negligible recovery afterward, yet exploitation rates are likely high and remain hardly regulated. Using an age-structured model and length and age distributions for over 47,000 Malabar Blood Snapper, we (1) underscore the impacts of recruitment and growth overfishing on fish biomass and catch and (2) demonstrate the efficacy of improving the size limit policy to address both issues. The proportion of small fish (lengthclasses <50 cm; age-classes = 1-4 years) in the catch rose from 40-50% in 1981 to over 70% between 1992 and 1998, indicating growth overfishing. Due to the selection of immature fish at high exploitation rates, the age-structured model showed that recruitment dropped virtually linearly with decreasing biomass by the mid-1990s, implying recruitment overfishing. Future scenarios show that by increasing the current mean age at vulnerability (1 year or 34 cm) to the age at first maturity (5 years or 61 cm), biomass and catch would increase by at least 300% and 130%, respectively, relative to status quo. Biomass would rebuild to higher levels if exploitation rates are regulated at sustainable levels. Our study highlights the importance of simple management changes in alleviating both types of overfishing, particularly when open-access conditions cannot be rapidly remedied due to weak management institutions.

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A review of the status and development of Kuwait’s fisheries

Cited by 40 publications

References 16 publications

Elasmobranch fisheries in the Arabian Seas Region: Characteristics, trade and management

Elasmobranch fisheries in the Arabian Seas Region: Characteristics, trade and management

Gargoortrap fishery in Kuwait, catch rate and species composition

Alleviating Growth and Recruitment Overfishing through Simple Management Changes: Insights from an Overexploited Long‐Lived Fish

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