A Bahraini businessman will today officially launch a pioneering fish farming company which he says will put food on the nation's tables and create new jobs.

The company, backed by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), will be officially registered today.

It has been set up by BCCI member Sager Shaheen in the hope of replenishing Bahrain's fish-stocks, boosting the country's food security and creating new jobs.

'This idea is not a new one. It's been talked about and has gained a lot of interest for a few years, now but I have taken the initiative,' he told the GDN yesterday.

'The main reasons I have done this is because of the depletion of fish stocks in Bahrain and the continued population growth.

'The growing population means there will be a higher consumption of fish so it is a priority for both the government and the citizens of Bahrain that we do this.'

Shaheen said the Asmak ('fish' in Arabic) farm was expected to be established off the coast at Askar and would produce about 1,500 tonnes of fish a year.

The farm will breed popular local fish hamour, safi, sea bass, shari and subaiti, of which a total of approximately 15,000 tonnes are consumed in Bahrain every year.

The National Centre for Marine Culture in Askar will also be re-developed as part of the launch and will work closely with the farm to produce high quality fish stocks for consumers in Bahrain.

If the rest of the preparations go smoothly, Shaheen is hoping to have the farm up and running by the middle of this year.

'We are eager to set in motion the action plan to start the company,' he said.

'We needed a legal entity to support us and that's why we have joined with the BCCI.

'We are now finalising certain government requirements so that we can push ahead with the project.'

Shaheen visited the Chantaburi fish farms in Thailand and the Subic fish farms in the Philippines, where he said he got a lot of advice and information that he is hoping to implement into his own company.

'It (the trip) was good to identify the amount of risks involved with setting up a fish farm,' he said.

'In terms of location alone, you have to ensure that it is an area with good water circulation, safe from attacks from bigger fish and is free from pollution and excess salt.

'At the moment, we are conducting a series of studies on the location of the farm so we can get the depth, the circulation and the distance from the marine centre just right.'

Shaheen said there would be up to 70 staff employed directly at the new development and it was hoped later to expand into the export business.-TradeArabia News Service