Threatened species of shark and ray released into Arabian Gulf to begin ‘new life in ocean’
Sharks and rays bred in captivity have been released into the Arabian Gulf in an effort to protect the futures of the threatened species.
Eleven Arabian carpet sharks and four honeycomb stingrays were released by conservationists into the shallow waters of the Jebel Ali marine reserve.
The sheltered bay with a gently sloping sandy seabed towards a rocky outcrop is the perfect habitat for sharks and rays.
Once densely populated in the waters of the UAE, overfishing and coastal development have threatened ecosystems.
That looks set to change with a government-backed programme by the Atlantis Lost Chambers Aquarium, where marine scientists have carefully reared and nurtured the latest batch of sharks and rays ready for release on Thursday.
“One of our key pillars is marine conservation, because Atlantis is home to 65,000 marine animals,” said Kelly Timmins, director of marine animal operations and sustainability at Atlantis on The Palm Jumeirah. “These species are not endangered but unfortunately, they are on a critical rating.
“The most important thing about doing this kind of release is to ensure everybody understands sharks are not vicious predators that are after them as soon as they get into the water.”
The two-year-old sharks released were about 50cm long, will grow up to a metre and will live for about 20 years. They are unlikely to leave the bay.
Nine species of shark and ray fall under the Atlantis breeding programme, including eagle rays, cowtail and porcupine rays. “Sharks and rays are solitary animals, they’re totally fine just swimming off and finding their own way and a new life in the ocean,” said Ms Timmins.
“There are many sharks and ray species, especially around the coast of the UAE.
“We’ve been so fortunate to see some larger predators over the last year, such as killer whales in the Arabian Gulf.
“There are big sharks out there, too, but they wouldn’t be coming so close into shore to be much of a threat to these smaller sharks.” Shark finning around the world is the biggest threat to the ocean’s apex predator, one that plays a critical role in preserving healthy marine ecosystems.
A recent study published in the Science journal showed shark mortality increased 4 per between 2012 and 2019.
However, in regulated fisheries such as those across the Atlantic and western Pacific, shark deaths fell by about 7 per cent.
The UAE is playing its part in attempting to rescue sharks from extinction, said Hiba Al Shehhi, director of biodiversity at the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment.
“This is one of the successful breeding stories that we are really proud of,” she said.
“Sharks are one of the most important species that actually control fish in the wild and help us balance that ecosystem.
“Having these species released, as one of the most endangered species, is really a successful story for the UAE.”
The Arabian Gulf has giant whale sharks, tiger sharks, tawny nurse sharks, sicklefin lemon sharks, sandbar sharks, bull sharks and reef sharks.