Bahrain’s fish stocks could be wiped out within three years unless urgent action is taken, according to an expert.

Agriculture and Marine Resources Directorate marine licences acting head Abdulla Isa said shrimp trawling was the main threat to the country's marine life, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

He is supporting calls for Bahrain to ban the practice altogether, saying shrimp trawler operators were effectively 'raking' the waters of the Gulf, indiscriminately scooping up whatever they could catch.

This includes juvenile fish and other marine life, which Mr Isa warned was doing major damage to the ecosystem of the Arabian Gulf.

“When shrimping, the banoosh (dhows) will drag the seabed for eight hours at a slow pace, using netting that's attached to two thick weights, usually made of wood,” he explained.

“If you see the seabed in the area where shrimping is allowed, it's totally flat like a road.

“This is what's ruined the sea for us, not reclaiming land.

“As a directorate, we want to ban shrimping altogether.

“It's already been banned in Oman, the UAE and Qatar.”

He made the comments in an interview with the GDN, just days after attending a crisis meeting between MPs, fishermen and environment experts to discuss problems facing the fishing industry.

A ban on shrimp trawling has been extended from four months to six months, between March 15 and September 15, this year to reduce the impact of the practice on Bahrain's marine life.

Isa revealed two boats had already been caught flouting the ban in the first two weeks, but added others were also believed to be breaking the law and trawling for shrimp.

“The problem is that sometimes it's hard to catch them,” said Isa, whose directorate is part of the Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry.

“What they'll often do is cut the nets if they see the Coast Guard approaching, then come back for the catch later because the shrimp will stay in the nets because they're weighted.”

Isa is now suggesting that all shrimp trawling licences should be torn up and replaced with regular fishing licences, effectively outlawing shrimping altogether.

This would also allow those who previously trawled for shrimp to pursue other business opportunities in fishing.

He also revealed that while there had been opposition from those in the sector to extending the shrimp trawling ban this year, it was initially planned a decade ago.

“We've actually delayed the six-month ban for 10 years,” he said.

“It was meant to be implemented already, but due to many interventions it kept being put off.

“But the problem is that shrimp travels, it doesn't stay in one place.

“So if Bahrain ignores the six-month ban, it affects all countries in the GCC - not just ourselves.

“We've been pressured to put this in place for years. If the six-month ban goes ahead successfully, it will revive the sea and replenish our fish stocks.”

However, he added that for it to be successful laws governing fishing and shrimp trawling would have to be enforced, saying that a 2002 decree regulating fishing and protecting marine life was not being implemented.

“If it doesn't start to be implemented rigorously, we won't have fish in Bahrain in three years' time,” warned Isa. - TradeArabia News Service