The Omani capture fishery is an important source of seafood and makes a significant social and economic contribution to Oman’s national GDP, providing 1.05% of Oman’s GDP during the period 2004-2013 (MAF, 2013). According to ‘Oman Vision 2020’, Oman plans to increase the agriculture and fishing share of GDP to 3.1% by the year 2020 with an annual growth rate of 5.6% (Global Research Economy-Oman, 2011). The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) set out the government’s strategies to develop the fisheries sector in a long-term plan (2013-2020), the main focus of which is investment to improve the infrastructure (‘hard’ capital) necessary to support the expansion of the sector. However, a new strategy has been set out in Oman Vision 2040 (2015) which focuses on investment to improve the institutional and behavioural processes (‘soft’ capital) necessary to transform the traditional small-scale inshore fleet (which supplies more than 90% of current fish production) into a modern, professional, highly-skilled, commercially-oriented industry capable of delivering the government’s expansionist plans. This second strategy is a good deal harder to achieve than the first, as it requires a fundamental change in atitudes among a traditional work force of 42,000 fishers. The aim of this study is to investigate the two strategy plans, and evaluate how likely it is that they will be realised in practice.

The Omani capture fishery is an important source of seafood and makes a significant social and economic contribution to Oman’s national GDP, providing 1.05% of Oman’s GDP during the period 2004-2013 (MAF, 2013). According to ‘Oman Vision 2020’, Oman plans to increase the agriculture and fishing...