Sharjah: The Ministry of Environment and Water is continuing its wide-ranging efforts to protect the dwindling fish stock in the Gulf, said Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, on Monday.
In an interview with Gulf News, Bin Fahd said the ministry has started educating fishermen on the endangered species and the tools they should use to maximise their benefit without overexploiting these fish. In addition to raising awareness through exhibitions, he said the ministry is also trying to protect the species through natural fish reservations.
Gulf fish stocks are facing a decline due to human pressures. Hamour, Qbait and Cobia are the local fish that are most exploited in the region. In fact the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) estimates that the rate at which hamour are caught is six to seven times in excess of sustainable levels. “We are also working on amending existing laws related to the exploitation of fish that we plan on raising to the national council. We are also working on the Shaikh Khalifa Marine Research hatcheries in Umm Al Quwain that will produce valuable local fish fingerlings and reintroduce them in lagoons and marine conservations,” said Bin Fahd.
The centre will produce after three years an estimated 10 million high-quality EU-standard fingerlings of the economically valuable local fish like hamour, subaiti (Sparidentex hasta), sheim (Acanthopagrus datnia) and gabbit (Rhabdosargus sarba).
Bin Fahd made the statement on Monday during the inauguration of ‘My environment, my national responsibility’ exhibition at the Sharjah Maritime Museum and Sharjah Aquariam in light of World Fisheries Day.
The exhibition is organised by the Ministry of Environment to raise awareness on the importance of protecting the environment and leading an environment-friendly life. The exhibition will continue until November 20.
Speaking at the event, Rashid Juma Al Shamsi, Head of Operations of all 16 Sharjah museums and the curator of the Sharjah Maritime Museum, said raising awareness without regulations is not enough to save the threatened species.
“Regulation is even more important than awarenes, because to many people it is a source of living and when it comes to making ends meet they might not have the preservation of the threatened species in mind.”
Al Shamsi said fish farms that provide local produce for every emirate is also not a solution because it can put fishermen in the country out of business.
Even though Al Shamsi believes that regulation is more effective in saving the species, he said the Sharjah Maritime Museum/Aquariam, which features fish from the Arabian Gulf only and raises awareness of endangered fish species holds constant events to raise awareness.
“We clean beaches, talk to fishermen and educate them and hold exhibitions constantly. If we reach a handful of people, even if it is a few, we would have achieved something.”
The exhibition, which was in its sixth edition, featured stalls by government and non-govermental bodies that provided information on sustainable living and endangered species.
