Sharks become the hunted in Gulf region

Dubai: Sharks are a sign of a healthy marine ecosystem but their population numbers are dwindling around the world, with 59 species having been classified as globally threatened.

Statistics on sharks in the Gulf region are few and far between with little time and money previously spent on monitoring these often-feared predators.

There has been no classification of shark populations in Gulf waters on a regional basis, as there has been very little scientific research to assess this.

According to the Emirates Marine Environment Group (Emeg) the biggest threat to sharks in the region is fishing.

Humans reportedly kill up to 73 million sharks every year globally.

"Both as bycatch, and as a direct result of fishing for shark fins. Also, as with many other wildlife, habitat loss and degradation are major problems," said Rima Jabado, marine programme director at Emeg.

There are 400 different species of sharks around the world, ranging in size from a few centimeters to over ten metres in length.

The World Conservation Union has assessed over 250 of these species and has classified 59 of them as "globally threatened".

One of the big problems in UAE waters is shark finning, the practice of slicing off shark fins and using the body for meat or simply discarding it.

Often the shark body is thrown back into the ocean as fins are worth more than meat.

"Shark finning is against the law here but there is no enforcement.

"Usually sharks are thrown back into the sea so that the bodies don't take up storage space on the boat," Jabado said.

The whole body is sometimes kept.

Some countries have regulations where fishermen are not allowed to bring only fins back so the whole shark needs to be landed.

"In the UAE, they bring the shark whole from the waters here and off Oman because people consume the meat and it is sold at the markets," said Ali Saqr Al Suwaidi, Emeg director.

"A decline in shark populations can have tremendous consequences on ecosystems as well as unpredictable effects on the prevalence of commercially important fish stocks," Jabado said.

"We are concerned about sharks because they are an extremely important part of the ecosystem and a symbol of diversity ... Their numbers are declining drastically."

"We have no information on population sizes but species found here include the bull shark, hammerhead, grey nurse, mako, tiger, whale, lemon, blacktip and white-cheeked sharks," said Jabado.