Fishermen in the Eastern Province are preparing for the launch of the 2024 shrimp season, which begins on August 1 and lasts for six months. The shrimp fishing will take place along the Arabian Gulf coasts of the Eastern Province, stretching some 1,000 kilometers from Khafji Governorate in the north to Uqair Governorate in the south. For the 2024 season, 710 fishing boats have been authorized, including large and small fishing boats. These are distributed as follows: 30 fishing boats at the Manifa port, 20 fishing boats at the Safaniya port, 330 fishing boats at the Jubail port, 160 fishing boats at the Qatif port, and 170 fishing boats at the Darin Island port. The Director of the Eastern Province Branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Eng. Fahd bin Ahmed Al-Hamzi, stressed to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Eastern Province welcomes the shrimp season starting on August 1 each year and lasting for six months. He noted that the ministry has provided all services for fishermen, facilitated their tasks, reduced the time required to issue shrimp fishing permits, and made it possible to access these permits through any electronic means. Al-Hamzi pointed out that the projects and initiatives by the ministry for Saudi fishermen in the Eastern Province include an initiative to establish and develop fishing ports in the region, a project to supply and install engines for fishing boats, and a project to supply Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) for small fishing boats operated by Saudi fishermen. Source: Saudi Press Agency