OMAN
The Gulf of Oman has always been strong feeding grounds for the migrating yellow fin tunas (YFT). Then man interfered and things changed dramatically. Korean trawlers took their toll on the tuna stocks and the fishing went down.
In 2009, the first step towards a recovery for the tuna stocks was taken: A Ministerial Decision prevented trawling in Oman and – and since then Omani waters has been free of any foreign trawlers.
After some years without over fishing, the YFT started to bounce back, and in numbers no one would have expected.
Around the same time, a young Omani navigational officer from Muscat, Ala’a Aziz, was scratching his itch for fishing whenever he could. He started chartering local captains and live baited for the YFT. Then he decided to take a trip to the US, fishing for bluefin tunas with popping gear, and this changed everything for Ala’a.
When he was back in Muscat he started pursuing his local YFT with poppers and stick baits – and he soon invited his new American friend, the renowned Sami Ghandour, to visit and help him explore the fishery. The results were amazing, and the tuna fishing just seemed to get better every year. Today, the YFT often average 40-45 kilos and several 90 kilo+ fish are hooked every season.
In 2016, Ala’a decided to set up his charter company.
At Getaway Sea Angling we are proud to be the exclusive partner for this fantastic fishery.