Fishing boats, fishermen increase in Fujairah

The number of fishing boats in Fujairah doubled last year compared to 2001. The number of fishermen also increased by around 65 per cent giving a great boost to the fishing industry in the emirate.

According to the recent report issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, represented by the Eastern Agricultural Zone in Fujairah, the number of fishing boats in Fujairah reached 1,082 last year compared to only 503 in 2001 and 485 in 2000.

"It indicates that more UAE nationals are being attracted to the fishing profession," said Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, Director of the Eastern Agricultural Zone in Fujairah.

The 1,082 fishing boats include 1,059 petrol-operated boats and 23 diesel-operated. In 2001, 479 boats were petrol-operated and 24 operated by diesel.

In 2002, the number of fishermen in Fujairah and Dibba reached 1,185, representing a rise of around 65 per cent over 2001 which recorded 703 fishermen.

"This reflects that the number of fishermen increased dramatically last year due to the increase in awareness because of courses and lectures carried out by our office," said Abdul Rahman.

The report revealed that subsidised loans granted to the fishermen during 2002 also doubled compared to 2001.

In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries granted 104 subsidised loans to fishermen to buy new boats or engines at a total cost of Dh 466,804, while in 2001, only 53 subsidised loans were granted totalling Dh221,911.

"Due to the increasing number of the fishermen in Fujairah and the rising number of fishing boats, the quantities of fish caught by the fishermen in 2002 also recorded another rise. Local fish markets were flooded with various types of fish."

In 2002, a total of 8,200 tonnes of fish were caught by the fishermen, up 17 per cent from 6,996 tonnes in 2001.