Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL FISH HATCHERIES IN SAUDI ARABIA

B. C. Young 1, 2* , A. A. Shaikhi 1

 1  National Fisheries Development Program , Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture, Riyadh 11195, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

 2 Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund, Taipei 11047, Taiwan

*Corresponding author

 E-mail address: benjamin@nfdp.gov.sa

 



 This study evaluated the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coastal fish hatcheries of leading aquaculture companies in Saudi Arabia for future sustainability strategies. Seven marine fish hatcheries were assessed for the year 2021. Factors assessed included production capacity, existing infrastructure, main species farmed, source of broodstock and seedstock, and range of water temperature and salinity. Six of the seven coastal marine fish hatcheries lacked broodstock capacity. All hatcheries have adequate water supply from the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coastline; two of the seven hatcheries are constrained by discharge restrictions. The live feed production section was absent in 5 out of 7 hatcheries. Most of the cultured species in the hatcheries were Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer, gilt-head seabream Sparus aurata , S abaki tilapia Oreochromis spilurus , and sobaity seabream Sparidentex hasta. Only two hatcheries produced fry, with an average monthly fry production of 500,000-1,000,000 individuals. The source of broodstock for 5 out of 7 hatcheries depended on imports or other hatcheries. Sustainability strategies may focus on increasing broodstock capacity, live food production, and new culture species.