The initiative will further boost the country’s fish industry.

Samkna, a new fish farming initiative, has launched the region’s first offshore Aquaculture project in Qatar’s open water, which uses floating-cage technology.

Under Al Qamra holding, Qatar’s leading business conglomerate, Samkna is set to provide more than 3,000 metric tons of fish as part of the country’s efforts in increasing the domestic production of protein-rich fish.

“Thanks to the kind patronage and wise direction of the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to facilitate support to the private sector in the state, we were able to witness the first production, from our offshore fish farm, in the Qatari market,” said Hamad Saleh Al Qamra, Chairman of Qamra Holding.

Samkna has also announced the launch of its first Qatari production of seabass in order to increase the local market’s fish supply and the country’s self-sufficiency in the fish production sector.

“Had it not been for government initiatives to support us we would not have been able to complete the first project of its kind in Qatar and the region for offshore fish farming using floating cages technology,” added Al Qamra.

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The initiative also comes in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to enrich the local sustainable food industry, as well as the National Food Security Strategy 2019-2023.

“We started the trial operation in early 2019, and in June 2020 we reached full operation of eight floating cages with a production capacity of 2000 tonnes per year of Qatari seabass fish as a first stage, through which we seek to provide safe and healthy strategic stocks through the optimal use of the natural and water resources in the country,” said Mohammed Al Qamra, General Manager of Samkna.

The fish farm is located 50 kilometers off the Qatari coast, northeast of Ruwais, with a total marine site area of 900 thousand square meters, including 16 floating cages.

Samkna has also built a factory spanning an area of 10 thousand square meters in Ruwais, close to the fish farm, which handles the final production stages, including packaging and wrapping.

According to Qatar’s 2018-2023 National Food Security Strategy, fish farming is one of the key priorities to ensure domestic self-sufficiency in times of crisis.

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