HE the Minister of Environment Ahmed bin Amer al-Humaidi addressing the foundation-stone-laying ceremony.
Ministers and senior officials attending the ceremony.
A major scientific and development project intended to boost fish production in Qatar and conduct research on marine life to create a suitable environment for investment in the sector was launched yesterday.
The foundation stone of the Aquatic and Fisheries Research Centre (AFRC) was laid at Ras Matbakh in Al Khor by HE the Minister of Environment Ahmed Amer Mohamed al-Humaidi.
The project targets the establishment of farms of local fish like Hamour, Safi and shrimps. The expected production capacity is around 8mn tonnes of fish annually and 6mn tonnes of shrimps per season.
The project is expected to meet to the increasing demand of fish in the country without exhausting its natural resources.
“AFRC is an important research and development project for the fisheries sector in Qatar,” HE al-Humaidi said.
“It is being built at an estimate cost of QR230mn on a space of 110,000sqm and expected to be completed by September 2015. It would be also furnished with the most sophisticated equipment and technology in the field,” he pointed out.
A number of ministers, senior officials and members of the Central Municipal Council attended the launch ceremony.
The project will also help in fostering and protecting endangered marine life organisms such as turtles and boost biological diversity of the local marine life.
Currently, the project is in its second phase, which started in March, and is concerned with construction and equipment installation. This phase is scheduled to last around 18 months. The project will be utilised by the Environment Ministry’s fisheries department (fish farming units) and Qatar University (laboratories and research centres).
AFRC is made up of an administrative building of 28 offices, two meeting halls, a lecture and presentation hall, and a library. It has a number of specialised laboratories to study various aspects of the marine life.
In addition, there are various buildings and units for fish farming and water supply, workers’ accommodations and storehouse.
