There is a huge demand for fresh shrimp in the UAE market but much of it is met through exports.
The estimated daily demand for shrimp across the UAE is about 11 tonnes.
“The UAE has not explored its potential for shrimp farming despite the availability of enough land close to the sea,” says Dr S.D. Gopakaumar of Al Jaraf Fisheries LLC, that has pioneered shrimp farming in the UAE.
The company’s farm started commercially producing fresh shrimp in 2007 to meet the huge domestic demand.
Though there are several small shrimp farms in the UAE, they cater to the private demand of their owners only, says Gopakumar.
The 84-hectare farm on Barmid Island (behind Reem Island), is a 15-minute drive and a five-minute boat ride away from Abu Dhabi city. The farm produces over two metric tonnes of shrimp and 100 kilograms of finfish (sea bream) daily.
“Most of our produce is consumed in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Shrimp of different sizes from 15 grams to 50 grams are produced and delivered live and fresh to our customers.”
Apart from the seafood, a variety of fresh water ornamental fish is also produced on the farm.
The imported shrimp, although labelled “live”, are one or two days old, according to Dr Gopakumar. The fish are treated with preservatives like meta bisulphate [a bleaching agent whose overuse can cause stomach problems] to increase their shelf life.
Most of the shrimp is imported from neighbouring Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Oman, and also from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The farm has also started grouper (hamour) breeding and its trial production this year after conducting several experiments.
