Evaluating the potential economic, environmental, and social benefits of orange-spotted grouper aquaculture in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are among the largest consumers of fish in the world with annual per capita fish consumption of around 27 kg. The orange-spotted grouper is one of the most popular fish species in the UAE, but it has been pushed to the brink of extinction, which makes its procurement from aquaculture ever more important. This paper evaluates the potential economic, environmental, and social impacts of grouper aquaculture in the UAE and identifies four key findings. First, under a business-as-usual scenario and after internalizing environmental and social costs, the production cost of wild-caught grouper is estimated to increase by 4.8% from $15.96 to $16.72 per kg. Second, large-scale grouper aquaculture is found to be economically viable. Third, the production cost of farmed grouper is estimated to be as low as $4.65 per kg. Fourth, procuring fish from aquaculture can yield significant environmental benefits arising from reduced fish landings and the protection of marine habitats. It can also yield social benefits through the protection of fisheries jobs and the preservation of the cultural value of fishing in UAE society. The procurement of all consumed fish in the UAE locally from aquaculture could contribute upwards of 3933 jobs to the labor market, valued at $13.9 million. This study highlights the importance of aquaculture for sustainable fisheries and suggests that the introduction of grouper aquaculture in the UAE may be economically sound, environmentally beneficial, and socially enhancing.