KUWAIT: Fishing for the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, locally known as 'Kanaad', will be halted until Oct 15, Head of the Kuwait Fishermen's Union Dhaher Al-Suwayyan announced. "The fishing sector is considered one of the most important food security sectors in the country, and it deserves to be improved and supported," he said, pointing out that support has remained the same since the start of the '90s and not been improved relative to other sectors.

Suwayyan also stressed the importance to follow the regulations set by the Environment Public Authority and the supervising agricultural committee for the fishing sector when fishing for 'maid' (mullet) fish in Kuwait Bay.

"Maid fish tend to stay close to the coast, therefore it is important to harvest them within the coasts of Kuwait Bay to avoid their migration to coastal waters outside Kuwait," Suwayyan said. He hoped to gain the support of EPA to supervise with its own investigators, especially since maid is one of Kuwaitis' favorite dishes and an increase in stocks will help lower prices.

Notably, EPA has allowed fishing by enthusiasts in Kuwait Bay by reservations through the authority's website. Fishermen should be ready to pay any fees required in order to preserve maid fish in the market to meet customer demand.