Sharjah
Fishing is a favourite pastime for many and a good leisure activity to do on a weekend morning. But, it is not a good idea to do so in a ‘no fishing’ zone. Such a scene is very common at the Buhairah Corniche in Sharjah, where hundreds of fishing enthusiasts cast their fishing lines in the Khalid Lagoon, while conveniently ignoring the ‘no fishing’ warning signs placed all over the Corniche by the Sharjah Municipality (as seen in photographs).
The beautiful Buhairah Corniche and Al Majaz Park are visited by many people in the morning, for walks and leisure purposes. On the weekends, young children visit the park and Corniche area to play. The people who are fishing usually cause a great deal of inconvenience to others. They toss the lines of their fishing rods in and out of the water, totally unmindful of the injury that the sharp fishing hooks could inflict on passersby.
These people also drop a lot of garbage, like empty cans of bait, pieces of meat and polythene bags on the pavement and in the water, thereby polluting and spoiling the beauty of our environment, and posing a serious threat to the marine life.
In the winter season, the UAE attracts many tourists from all over the world, many of whom visit Sharjah, too. Residents engaging in violations, such as fishing in a ‘no fishing’ zone and littering, tend to spoil the image of the emirate in the minds of these tourists.
The authorities are working hard to keep our cities clean, but our careless attitude is only making things harder for them. I request the residents to exercise their civic responsibilities and abide by the rules mentioned on the notice boards in public places. The rules have been made for a reason. I also request the authorities to increase monitoring in the area and take appropriate action against the violators.
— The reader is a pupil based in Sharjah.
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