Oman Issues Ministerial Decree: Wild Abalone Fishing Banned for One Year Until November 2027; Aquaculture Output Up 67.7% in 2025

Oman's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources issued a ministerial decree in late October announcing a one-year ban on wild abalone fishing, which will remain in effect until November 1, 2027.

Under the decree, during the ban period abalone producers are prohibited from holding, trading or handling abalone, with the relevant activities covering transport, purchase, sale and export. The decree also stipulates that throughout the ban, fishing vessels and ships in coastal areas and near fishing grounds are prohibited from carrying any kind of abalone harvesting tools and equipment.

Oman said the one-year ban period will be used to implement measures including stock rebuilding programs to ease the pressure currently on abalone stocks, specifically pointing to reducing the impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) had previously attributed the decline in abalone abundance and size in Oman mainly to insufficient regulatory enforcement, the overlap of the fishing season with the abalone breeding season, and an uncontrolled number of divers. The FAO therefore stated that a one-year or even two-year ban would likely be insufficient to protect abalone stocks. The UN agency proposed in 2022: "Future closed seasons must be extended to at least three years, and abalone harvesting in Mirbat and Hasik should be banned for at least five years," adding that "the number of divers must be regulated, and adjustments to the fishing season should be assessed." Despite these recommendations, Oman ultimately implemented a one-year ban.

While wild abalone harvesting is banned, Oman's aquaculture supply is growing. Data from Oman's Aquaculture Development Department show that farmed fish output reached 9,240 metric tons in 2025, up 67.7% from the 2024 total. The output growth drove the total value of aquaculture production up 63.7% to 20.3 million rials (USD 52.6 million, EUR 45.5 million).

According to Issa Mohammed Al Farsi, Director of Oman's Aquaculture Department, the species driving last year's output increase included abalone, whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), sea bream, tilapia and rock oyster.