Manama: Thousands of artificially bred hamour (grouper) fingerlings will soon be released into Qatar's territorial waters soon.
The environment ministry hopes that the release of 50,000 baby hamour, each weighing an average of five grams, into the waters near Al Wakra will help boost the country's fast depleting fish stocks.
The release of the fingerlings is part of a five-year project to rebuild the country's depleting fish resources, particularly hamour, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported on Saturday.
In the first phase, 50,000 hamour fingerlings, worth QR170,000 ($46,700), were released off the coast of Al Khor in July 2009.
Al Khor was elected as the releasing pint because of its proximity to coral reef deposits, Mohammad Mahmoud Flamrazi, Director of the Fisheries development department, said.
The research unit of the fisheries department will monitor the survival and growth of the fingerlings.
