UAE | Environment

Warning issued to UAE fishermen

Fishermen on the UAE's East Coast have been advised by the Ministry of Environment and Water not to take their fishing boats out for the next 24 hours to avoid putting themselves in danger, following the announcement that a cyclone is heading towards the Arabian Peninsula.

  • By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:38 May 3, 2009
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Fishermen on the UAE's East Coast have been advised by the Ministry of Environment and Water not to take their fishing boats out for the next 24 hours to avoid putting themselves in danger, following the announcement that a cyclone is heading towards the Arabian Peninsula.

Director of the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Environment and Water, Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Janahi, said the ministry's East Coast had been told to warn all fishermen not to go to sea.

"The coastguards have also made some announcements for fishermen to avoid the sea today," he said.

Around 2000 fishermen and 900 fishing boats will be affected. Al Janahi said that fishermen from Dibba to Khor Fakhan and Kalba had been following developments.

"The fishermen themselves have been calling up to get more information. We hope nothing will happen but it is a warning to keep people safe," said Al Janahi.

"All our people from fishing cooperatives will be informing the fishermen. Everybody on the coast is warning all their fishermen. In Oman they have to stay out of the water for 30 hours and in Yemen they are following this closely. This is the first time something like this is happening but we don't know how much damage will be," he said.

Al Janahi added that sometimes in the winter months fishermen are alerted to take care if typhoons are taking place in India.

Brigadier Dr. Jamal Al Marri, Deputy Director of the Crisis and Disaster Management Committee, told Gulf News, "There are teams working on following up various developments and the areas to which the cyclone is expected to reach."

He said the preliminary precautionary procedures have already begun to cover the precautionary side of it.

"There is a direct follow up for various developments on the cyclone, its directions, speed and what will accompany it. The follow up has been going on for the last three days. The primary information we have imply that it will not affect the normal life," he said.

However, he said with the cyclone nearing the Eastern areas, especially south Oman, the things have taken a different way regarding preparedness.

A spokesperson from Dubai Civil Defence told Gulf News, "We have increased preparedness level and we are constantly following up the issue."

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