English abstract
Fisheries are considered one of the world's most important natural resources as a source of food,
services, products and income. The most prominent is Recreational Fisheries (RF) in which social,
economic and environmental benefits were obtained. The Sultanate of Oman witnessed the activity
of RF in the past recent decades. Due to the lack of studies and detailed information about the
Marine RF in Oman, this study aimed to assess the socio-economic and environmental aspects of
MRF in Muscat Governorate. A questionnaire survey developed for this purpose was addressed in
six wilayats, where 61 responses were received. RF is characterized by 75% fishers aged more
than 30 years old, 70.7% are married, 48% hold a degree and above and 49% are government
employees. Additionally, 46% of fishers own no licenses, indicating illegal fishing activity.
Around 5338.12 OMR (13852.7 USD) is spent annually for recreational activity, with more than
100 OMR per trip (259.7 USD). Recreational boat fuel, equipment and maintenance cost the
highest compared with other expenses. Despite the illegal activity from 46% of the surveyed
fishers, a good level of marine environmental awareness was observed, due to the legal fishing
gear used besides their commitment to fishing zones. In conclusion, a comprehensive socioeconomic and environmental evaluation of the whole Omani coastal line is needed to improve the data limitation. Also, a communication network is recommended to bridge the gap between the governance and management framework.
