UAE | Environment

Thanks - but no tanks, Sammy says

Laws surrounding the legality of the captured whale shark are unclear as different authorities are shifting responsibility to each other.

  • By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:14 October 9, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Whale sharks may live up to 100 years in the wild and are highly migratory, traversing thousands of kilometres to different feeding grounds, encompassing the waters of several countries.
  • Image Credit: Hessa Abdullah/Gulf News Reader
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Dubai: Laws surrounding the legality of the captured whale shark are unclear as different authorities are shifting responsibility to each other.

Environmentalists however are unanimous on the subject - the juvenile female animal placed in the aquarium at Atlantis on The Palm Jumeirah one month ago should be released.

The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi referred Gulf News' enquiries to the Convention on International Trade for Endangered Species (CITES), whilst the Ministry of Environment and Water said such permits should be granted by the Dubai Municipality.

"We are investigating the situation, the facts are not clear," said Mohammad Abdul Rahman Hassan, head of the marine environment and sanctuaries unit at Dubai Municipality.

Atlantis hotel has still not commented.

An environmental adviser from the Ministry of Environment and Water, Sa'ad Al Numairy, speaking at a sustainable development conference on Wednesday, highlighted the role of the Ministry citing federal law 23 of the year 1999 to protect the exploitation of marine species, however declined to comment regarding Sammy the whale shark.

According to CITES, permission is needed to keep animals such as whale sharks.

The Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS-WWF) issued a statement to Gulf News saying the whale shark should be released back into the wild as quickly as possible.

Question of feeding

"Placing a whale shark in an unnatural environment where it is unable to feed in its normal patterns and has a limited area in which to move can have deadly consequences as has been the case with whale sharks in captivity in other countries," the statement reads.

"According to the Atlantis, the whale shark is there for medical care and observation and will be released. EWS-WWF recommends that the management of Atlantis consider their rationale for keeping the creature longer than necessary, and release it back into its natural habitat without delay ... national regulations, however, are encouraged until international co-operation is in place."

Rita Bento, a marine biologist from the Emirates Diving Association, expressed concern at how the whale shark, which is a filter feeder that eats minuscule zooplankton, is being fed in the hotel aquarium.

"The fact it is also a female is quite a worry," said Bento. "Keeping a female in captivity is reducing the chances of her procreating and increasing the population. So little is known about these animals that a fully-fledged research centre would be more beneficial," she added.

Saif Al Ghais, Director of the Environmental Protection and Development Authority, said the whale shark should be released before it is found dead in the aquarium. "They swim long distances and are migratory fish. Keeping it the tank is going to be quite tricky, they do not do well in captivity," he told Gulf News.

Protection of threatened species

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) red list of threatened species, listed as vulnerable.

This does in fact indicate that the whale shark is a threatened species said Emirates Wildlife Society, EWS-WWF:

"Whale sharks may live up to 100 years in the wild and are highly migratory, traversing thousands of kilometres to different feeding grounds, encompassing the waters of several countries. This makes regulation at the national level limited in its conservation impact, emphasising the need for international co-operation in the protection and sustainable management of this species."

Do you support the campaign for her release? How would you like to raise your concerns? What action should be taken? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form bellow to send your comments.

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