Workshop Held on Agreement for Supporting Fishing Areas

Muscat, 14 Feb (ONA)—The Sultanate of Oman is hosting a workshop on the international agreement to support fishing areas. The three-day workshop, which began in Muscat today, is held in cooperation with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The workshop seeks to enhance the participants' understanding of the legal texts of the agreement and the ensuing obligations of WTO member states.

Dr. Hussein Mohammed Al Masqati, Director of the Fisheries Resources Development and Management Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, said that the workshop touched on ways to sustain resources and combat illegal fishing in the seas by organizing fishing areas.

He added that Oman devised various measures of controlling poaching. These include dedicating seasons and allocating areas for fishing, as well as using specific, authorized equipment, he explained.

The opening of the worshop was attended by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, officials and specialists from the GCC and the WTO.

—- Ends/Bishara/Khalid