Ideal Marine Products Company converted an EU ban on imports of fish from the Gulf states into an opportunity. The ban on Oman's products has since been lifted after the country complied with EU regulations, but while it was in force, Ideal Marine developed new markets.
The EU had accounted for 60 per cent of exports from Ideal Marine before the ban. With that market out of its range, the company intensified its marketing efforts, consolidating its reach in East Asia and discovering new destinations. Some 70 per cent of Ideal Marine products now go to Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Malaysia, which has begun imports from the company, is a promising destination. The remaining 30 per cent is sold in the Omani and other GCC markets.
"We're looking at resuming exports to EU countries," said general manager VMA Hakkim. Production will be doubled by the end of this year to 2000 tonnes following the installation of new equipment. The company is also eyeing diversification into shrimp farming and has sought approval from the Omani government. "It is seriously considering our request... They're in favour of it," said Hakkim. The company is the recipient of an award from the government for "best quality control and export performance" and is expected to serve as a model to new enterprises not just in fisheries but in other fields too. Ideal Marine itself is a relatively new organisation having been established in 1994. Fresh fish accounts for 15 per cent of the company's exports in tonnage and 25 per cent in value. The fresh fish range comprises whole cooked lobster, yellowfin tuna, swordfish and marlin, Red Sea bream, grouper, emperor, king fish and shark fillets.
The frozen varieties include whole lobster, yellowfin tuna, cuttlefish, grouper, emperor, baby shark, seabream, croaker, kingfish, shark fillets and steaks and fillets. The company is capitalising on 1,700km of Omani coastline to source its raw material and has set up four buying stations on the beaches - in Quriyat, Salalah, Al Ashkhara and Al Jazer.
The station at Al Ashkhara, near Sur in Oman's Sharqiyah Region, collects mainly cuttlefish, which is an important resource, its value stemming from high volume. The next important species is tuna, purchased at Quriyat, near Muscat. Exported in fresh and frozen forms, it is a valuable item that can fetch high revenues if large quantities are available.
Another high-value resource is the lobster, but the government has restricted harvesting to a two-month period as a conservation measure. Most of the lobster is bought at Salalah, the country's southern region. The Salalah station also collects grouper. The station at Al Jazera, somewhat midway between Salalah and Muscat, is used for purchasing fish of varieties not picked up at the other stations. The company has four refrigerated trucks to visit various other beaches along the coastline. Additionally, the company receives fish from fishermen at the doorstep. They come to the factory with their catch, and this source accounts for a third of all fish purchased by Ideal Marine.
Hakkim says demand for fish is growing both locally and overseas but that with more fish processing companies being set up in the region, competition becomes an "intense struggle" and only the fittest survive. He adds that the annual fish catch in Oman has been more or less constant, so being able to buy your requirements at the right price becomes very important.
"We have the expertise to select the best fish landed by local fishermen who trawl the long coastline and this ideally gives Ideal Marine the choice of a vast and diverse range of seafood," says Hakkim, who is one of four owners of the company. "At every stage, product quality and freshness are checked by specialist technicians. All products are quality controlled to international standards."
Adds the official: "For a company that's a mere seven years old, Ideal Marine's innovative thinking, dynamism, professional management and focus on quality has put it in the forefront of exporters from the Sultanate of Oman."
