The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has successfully cultivated trevally fish (shaim) in closed aquaculture systems, marking the first time this has been achieved in the Middle East. The project, which produced fish larvae from parent trevally raised in purified water, is a significant step in the region’s efforts to enhance food security and support sustainable aquaculture.
Dr. Faisal Al-Humaidan, Acting Director-General of KISR, noted that the success of breeding trevally in controlled environments represents a major advancement in aquaculture technology. He also pointed out that this achievement will help protect natural trevally populations, which have been threatened by overfishing and environmental changes such as rising salinity in the Arabian Gulf.
The project, led by Amani Al-Yakout, managed to cultivate the fish without the use of reproductive stimulants, making the approach commercially viable. KISR has been developing this technology since 2021, and the successful production of trevally larvae in May 2024 marked a key milestone. The project was supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and collaborated with the private sector, including the Integrated Technologies Company for Fish and Shrimp Farming.
This achievement not only supports local food security but also plays a crucial role in the preservation of the trevally species, which has been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List since 2014.
