Minister of Agriculture Meets Fish Industry Leader

The Minister of Agriculture, His Excellency Engineer Khaled Al-Hunaifat, and the President of the Fish Farmers Association, Engineer Mohammed Shaheen, met at the Ministry's headquarters on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, to discuss the possibility of developing the fish farming sector in Jordan.

The two parties discussed the need to work with the Jordanian government on implementing the national strategy to serve as a roadmap for both public and private sectors, unifying the authorities responsible for licensing the fish industry and aquaculture, providing farmers with modern technology, and developing specific legislation to emulate global experiences in fish farming.

His Excellency emphasized that these areas form the path to developing the aquaculture sector and that harmonious work between all parties positively supports the sector's growth and continuity, which requires support, sustainability, and a clear work strategy to implement all aspects of development.

For his part, Shaheen pointed out the most important difficulties facing the sector, starting with the importance of having a professional organization for the aquaculture sector by providing technical and administrative expertise in government and private institutions. He noted the importance of having agricultural extension specialized in fish and the need for technical bulletins and specialized extension methods in the field of fish farming. He also pointed to the challenges of high operating costs and the costs of fish farming supplies, especially imported feed, in addition to the risks of final marketing.

It is worth noting that the main objectives of the Fish Farmers Association include developing the fish sector, increasing the production share of fish, raising Jordanians' fish consumption, the importance of developing contract farming within a comprehensive system, and improving the sustainability of fish and marine product resources and enhancing food security.