UAE fish stocks vanishing

FINES OF UP TO DH100,000 FOR OVERFISHING AND WASTING MARINE RESOURCES

Depletion is reaching an alarming stage, warns a top official at the Ministry of Environment and Water

The depletion of UAE fish stocks is reaching an alarming stage, warned a top official at the Ministry of Environment and Water. Overfishing and wastage of aquatic resources, like fishing and dumping of juvenile fish stock is compounding the issue of depletion, he said.

“Some varieties of fish in UAE waters are facing depletion by as much as 18 per cent and we [the minstry] are working with local civic authorities and environmental agencies to monitor fishing practices and educate fishermen on preserving the natural resources,” said Salah Al Raisi, Director of Fisheries at the ministry.

The ministry has regulations in place to restrict fishermen from catching fish under an announced size limit, but continuous violation of the limits is not helping the cause of preservation.

“We come across regular cases where fishermen catch juvenile fish and since these are not allowed to sell in the market, they dump them on the beach or in the port, which is a waste of resources,” he added.

The ministry along with Dubai Municipality and Dubai Marine Police is investigating a recent case where tonnes of juvenile fish were found dumped at Hamriya Port.

“We are looking for the culprits and hope to catch them soon. In cases like these, violators can get fines up to Dh100,000 and the fishing boat is confiscated for six months,” said Al Raisi.

According to the Director of Fisheries, almost 80 per cent of the aquatic resources are wasted one way or another.

“This issue is now getting beyond regulation of fishermen’s behaviour. It is not just about what you can catch and what you can’t, it is about ensuring food security at the national level. Aquatic resources are one of our cherished national resources and the sea is part of our heritage so it’s high time we checked wastage of these resources,” said Al Raisi.

He said stocks of all varieties are declining.

Some, like Hammour (Orange Spotted Grouper) and Sheri (Spangled Emperor), are the worst affected due to their popularity in local markets.

“Apart from educating fishermen, awareness should be raised among the consumers about these resources and their responsibility to preserve them for future generations. People should be careful about what they buy,” said Al Raisi.

Clear rules

According to the rules of the ministry, Hammour smaller in length than 45cm cannot be caught and sold in the market, while Sheri of the size smaller than 22cm is also banned. There are restrictions on the use of smaller nets that help catch juvenile fish and monitoring the usage of nets is the responsibility of marine police.

“We are complying with the regulations in the market and Dubai Municipality is regularly monitoring the merchandise, so there is no way we can sell fish that is not banned,” said Mohammad Asif, a fish merchant at Deira Fish Market.

He added that since it is impossible to sell restricted fish in the market, the fishermen have no choice but to dispose of their catch.