SUMMARY

      The objectives of the current study are: (1) to examine the development of the variables associated with the production, consumption, and foreign trade of fish in Arab countries during the period (1994-2003). (2) Determination of the fish surplus or food gab in Arab countries. (3) The impact of fish culture to increase fish production. (4) to estimate the optimum level of fish production in Arab countries and to compare that with the actual one during the period mentioned.

      Some of the study results could be summarized as follows:

(1)   Increase of annual fish production in Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya, Total Arab countries, in addition to its decrease in Emirates, Oman and Algeria.

(2)   Increase of annual fish exportation in Morocco, Yemen, Algeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya and author countries, in addition to its decrease in Egypt, Mauritania, Somalia, Tunisia, Syria and Total Arab countries

(3)   Increase of annual fish importation in Morocco, Egypt, Emirates, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya, author countries and Total Arab countries in addition to its decrease in Mauritania, Oman.

(4)   Increase of annual fish consumption in Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania, Yemen, Somalia, Tunisia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya and Total Arab countries, in addition to its decrease in Emirates and Oman.

(5)   Generally, there are surplus and food gab in fish production and consumption in Arab countries.

(6)   The role of fish culture contributed by approximately 10% on fish production in the total Arab countries.

(7)   Exceed of the optimal annual average of fish production over that of the actual one in Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania, Yemen, Oman, Somalia, Tunisia, Syria, Libya and Total Arab countries, in addition to its decrease in Algeria, Sudan and Saudi Arabia