Fisheries Studies

Details

In Saudi Arabia there is a significant amount of pressure on reef fish from local fisheries. This pressure is apparent in surveys of reef fish communities in comparison to government catch data and fish market visits. In particular, there is a notable absence of larger reef fish and sharks from the reefs, but many of these fishes are still caught in large numbers along the Saudi Red Sea coast. In conjunction with the relevant Saudi Arabian ministries and KAUST partners from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Red Sea Research Center is assisting with an initial assessment of these fisheries. We hope to eventually develop reasonable fishing guidelines and effective marine protected areas (MPAs). Fishing has been a tradition and way of life for many coastal Saudi communities, and we would like to contribute our efforts to make sure that this continues for generations to come. Efforts to assist with fisheries management in Saudi Arabia are informed from our accumulated knowledge from the movement, life history, population genetics, and connectivity studies described elsewhere in this website.