The Persian Gulf is a semi-enclosed sea situated between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It is joined to the Gulf of Oman, the northernmost arm of the Indian Ocean, by the Strait of Hormuz. The term of “the Gulf” in this report is used as a general reference covering not only the Persian Gulf but also its outlets, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea.

The utilization of the fishing industry in the Gulf region is second in importance only to oil and gas in stimulating the economic development of the coastal States. Indeed, some Iranian economists have claimed that the fish stocks in the Gulf can provide Iran with an income as large as oil and gas revenue. This estimate, made before the Energy Crisis, is now an exaggeration. It is, nevertheless, reliably acknowledged that fish stocks in the Gulf are very rich.

In recent years the Gulf States have increasingly paid more attention to the fishing industry within the Gulf with a view to raising production. In the private sector, local companies still try to enter into joint ventures with Western corporations. Also, some Gulf States signed joint agreements with outside Powers, basically seeking technological assistance. For instance, Oman concluded several contracts with private foreign companies (1971) and a joint Omani-United States fishing agreement in 1972 for fishing within Oman’s territorial waters. Similarly, Iraq signed an agreement with the U.S.S.R. establishing a joint fishing company in 1975. Later, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Agriculture and Water, in a programme to develop fisheries off the Gulf Coast, engaged the British White Fish Authority in 1977. The White Fish Authority, constituted by Act of Parliament in 1951, is responsible for reorganizing, developing and regulating the white fish industry. The term “white fish” is defined to include all sea fish except herring, salmon and trout. The Authority has a “fishery economics research unit” which collects and appraises contemporary statistics and economic information for dissemination to the industry and advises the Authority on policy. The research programme includes short and long term supply and demand forecasts and investment planning studies, together with market research and market share assessment. Accordingly, fishery research vessels supervised by the British White Fish Authority conducted resource surveys and exploratory fishing in the Saudi Arabian sector of the exclusive fishing zone in the Gulf. Similarly, Bahrain acquired four trawlers from a New Zealand company.