Dubai (AFP)

In the middle of the desert of Dubai, technicians reproduce in large basins the currents and the tides of the North Sea, for salmon which whirl by thousands.

With its tallest tower in the world, its palm-shaped artificial islands or its indoor ski resort, the emirate of Dubai is no stranger to its first ambitious project.

"But nobody could have imagined that we could raise salmon in the desert," said Badr ben Mubarak, general manager of Fish Farm. And yet, "it's done in Dubai".

Salmon, cold-water fish, is usually grown in large cages at sea off Norway, Iceland, the United Kingdom or Canada.

"To reproduce such an environment has been the most difficult thing," Mubarak told AFP, with temperatures in Dubai reaching up to 45 ° C.

Inside the farm, located in the south of the emirate, the flow and temperature of the water are controlled to create optimal conditions for the growth of thousands of salmon.

"We reproduce (light) sunrises and sunsets, but also tides, strong currents or those of a simple river, shallow waters and very deep," says the young businessman, in white traditional dress .

- "Food Safety" -

Salmon are born in freshwater, but live in salt water before returning to fresh water to spawn. The salt water used by the Dubai farm comes from the Gulf but is filtered.

The project was launched in 2013 with the support of the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdane bin Mohammed bin Rached Al-Maktoum, to raise salmon and other fish such as Japanese amberjack, used in the preparation of sushi.

To start, the farm bought some 40,000 fry from a hatchery in Scotland and thousands of additional eggs in Iceland to raise them in its basins. Reproduction is currently done on site.

Due to technical challenges, the fish farm currently produces mainly salmon distributed in Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates, says Mubarak.

"Today, the Emirates imports about 92% of their fish needs and the goal is to be able to respond (on demand) to ensure our food security," he says.

According to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the volume of seafood trade in the UAE reached 2.58 billion dirhams (636 million euros) in 2017 and the country imported for 2,3 billion dirhams (567 million euros) of fish, crustaceans and molluscs.

The fish farm hopes to meet at least 50% of the needs of the country within two years, reports Mubarak.

- Ecological "concerns" -

The "Fish Farm" is also environmentally friendly and plans to switch to solar energy, especially because of the high price of electricity.

In the world, the advantages and disadvantages of fish farming are debated.

"There are concerns about the welfare of animals and keeping them in basins when they normally swim freely in the seas and rivers," says AFP Jessica Sinclair Taylor of Feedback Global, an NGO based in London.

"There are also concerns related to energy consumption and therefore to CO2 emissions," she adds.

But on the other hand, land-based farming prevents water pollution in lakes and seas, where waste from traditional salmon farms can damage marine ecosystems, she says.

Livestock product, the salmon of the "Fish Farm" is however stamped "100% organic" because of the natural food of the fish and the absence of antibiotics. In April, the company began distributing its products in supermarkets.

"It's more expensive but I think about quality, I've tried different salmon and it's the least fat, my family prefers it," says Katja, a German living in Dubai.

According to this expatriate, the UAE "are making great efforts to produce locally not only fish, but also vegetables, which I think I should really support."

© 2019 AFP