JEDDAH: An initiative to rehabilitate and redevelop its fish farm facility in Obhur, north of Jeddah, has been launched by King Abdulaziz University in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
The scheme, implemented through the ministry’s National Livestock and Fisheries Development Program, aims to strengthen cooperation between academic and government institutions and support sustainable growth in Saudi Arabia’s aquaculture sector.
Its inauguration on Tuesday was attended by Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour Al-Mushaiti, King Abdulaziz University president Tareef Al-Aama, Agriculture Undersecretary Suleiman Al-Khatib, and Assistant Undersecretary for Livestock and Fisheries Ali Al-Shaikhi.
Speaking to Arab News about the main challenges facing aquaculture in the Red Sea, Dean of the Faculty of Marine Sciences Turki Al-Raddadi said the region had a unique marine environment which presented significant challenges.
“One of the most prominent challenges is the consistently high and fluctuating water temperatures, which place farmed species under environmental stress that can affect growth rates and productivity,” he said. “These are becoming more pronounced as the impacts of climate change intensify.”
