May 27, 2020

Grouper to boost the UAE's aquaculture industry

A newly published study showed that the introduction of grouper aquaculture into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could be "economically sound, environmentally beneficial and socially enhancing," The Fish Site reported.

One of the most popular fish species in the UAE, the paper notes, it "has been pushed to the brink of extinction" by overexploitation of wild stocks, making the case for developing an aquaculture sector for the species all the more relevant.

The author calculates that, under a business-as-usual scenario, "after internalising environmental and social costs, the production cost of wild-caught grouper is estimated to increase by 4.8%, from US$15.96 to US$16.72 per kg." He adds that the same fish can be produced for as little as US$4.65 per kg through aquaculture.

Moreover, the paper argues that "procuring fish from aquaculture can yield significant environmental benefits arising from reduced fish landings and the protection of marine habitats. It can also yield social benefits through the protection of fisheries jobs and the preservation of the cultural value of fishing in UAE society."

Another potential impact of culturing orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) is that grouper aquaculture could create 3,933 jobs in the country.

The study was published in Marine Policy, under the title "Evaluating the potential economic, environmental, and social benefits of orange-spotted grouper aquaculture in the United Arab Emirates".