Coral garden planned on Fujairah coast
It is expected to set a world record as the largest coral garden in the world
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Fujairah Centre for Adventures have inked an agreement to cultivate a mega coral garden along the coast of Fujairah.
The agreement was signed by Sultan Alwan, assistant undersecretary of the Regions Sector at the ministry, and Saeed Al Muamari, director of the Fujairah Centre for Adventures.
Dr Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, attended the signing ceremony.
The garden, expected to set a Guinness World Record as possibly the largest in the world, will provide a haven for biodiversity to sustain and rehabilitate ecosystems in the UAE.
Al Muamari noted that the agreement was signed under the directives of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, to preserve marine life and enhance fisheries, thereby boosting tourism in the emirate and attracting divers and nature enthusiasts from the UAE and abroad.
“Such agreements are important to help preserve the pristine natural beauty of the region, and its precious marine environment. The project is the largest in the world and will help boost local and international interest in the coral reef and the marine environment,” Al Muamari added.
He said that the agreement will help protect the country’s marine life, especially the diverse environments of its coastlines, while promoting and enhancing community participation. This is a key objective of the Fujairah Centre for Adventures in all its agreements with government institutions and departments. He also thanked Dr Al Zeyoudi for the ministry’s contribution to the project.
Under the agreement, the ministry will provide grown corals of various sizes and types to meet the project’s unique needs. It will also provide technical support and logistic services to the onsite team, such as supplying team members with the equipment and materials needed for coral aquaculture and transplantation and sea transportation.
The ministry will also offer technical training to teams from the Fujairah centre in the scientific approach to coral aquaculture and transplantation.
The centre will determine the best geographical location for the garden — to ensure it is easily accessible and within the range of logistic services and that it falls within a natural protected area.