Within the framework of its continued agenda, the General Assembly of the Saudi Aquaculture Society held its second meeting in the capital, Riyadh, in presence of the associate members and under the chairmanship of the Chairman of the Board of Directors,  engineer/ Ahmed bin Rasheed Al Ballaa, The Chairman started the meeting by a welcoming the members and reviewed the achievements made ​​by SAS during the year, with special reference to the fruitful cooperation between SAS and the Ministry of Agriculture, represented by the Department of Aquaculture, in order to serve the aquaculture sector.

In his speech, engineer /Al Ballaa, stated: “from this podium, and on behalf of the members of the Board of Directors, we express our deep thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (may God protect him) and the judicious government, for the support and care enjoyed by the Saudi Aquaculture Society. He added, we also wish to extend our thanks to H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs and H.E. the Director General of the Aquaculture Department and the Department employees, for their cooperation and continued support and assistance offered to develop the aquaculture industry in the Kingdom, which played a major role and had a deep impact on the growth of this sector. "

The meeting included a number of discussions about the mechanisms of upgrading this sector, and emphasizing the importance of the continued concerted efforts to achieve the desired results of marine products, which can cover the shortage in the domestic market and the reduce imports from abroad. In the same context, SAS members discussed the issue of the high cost of feeds, which accounts for approximately 60% of the operating costs, requesting the approval of the competent authorities to include the key feed inputs, like fish oil and fish meal and other main ingredients of the feed of fish and shrimp farms within the feeds currently subsidized in the Kingdom, similar to the subsidy received by the feeds of other industries, like poultry, livestock and dairy, which undoubtedly will be reflected positively on the role of industry, its growth and contribution to the economic and social development of the Kingdom and its citizens, in addition to its contribution in achieving the national food security.

On his part, H. E. the Secretary General of SAS, Ustaz / Ibrahim Al-Mishari presented the SAS achievements during the last year, which included the most prominent activities and programs and workshops held. He also highlighted SAS active role, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture in finding solutions to get rid of the viruses in shrimp farms and eliminating them over the past year, in addition to the vital role of SAS in the introduction of new species of shrimp into the Kingdom to achieve biosecurity to the farms and food security for the consumer.

At the end of the General Assembly meeting, a number of resolutions and recommendations were issued in relation to the SAS administrative and organizational works, notably, the reduction of subscription fees to minimum, in order to expand the scope of participation in the SAS, which is in line with the long-term objectives drawn up by the venerable Council of Ministers regarding this vital sector.