Dubai: It is said that all major campaigns start with one man taking that all important step, which makes the difference in the long run.
It is this belief that motivated Mohammad Sultan Bin Thani to take up spreading the word against selling and eating baby hamour.
Selling baby hamour (Orange Spotted Grouper) is banned by law in the UAE, but the popularity of the fish means it continues to be sold in the markets. But Bin Thani has now made it his mission to educate fishermen, fish sellers as well as consumers on why they must not eat baby hamour.
“Any hamour smaller than 45cm is banned from being sold and authorities issue fines if the fish is sold in the market. But this has not deterred people from buying and selling baby hamour and hamour stock continues to be overexploited an it is depleting fast. I feel we need to do more than just penalising the sellers,” said Bin Thani, speaking to Gulf News about his campaign.
Bin Thani started the campaign this week and is spreading his word by visiting the fish market regularly and making fish sellers pledge not to sell baby hamour.
“I visit fish markets regularly and speak with the fish sellers and try to educate them and make them take a pledge. A lot of them are interested and I have got a great response so far,” he added.
Interestingly, Bin Thani is receiving support from Dubai Municipality as well and he is expecting to work with the civic body to take his campaign further.
“Dubai Municipality has promised to help me build a water tank at the fish market, which will help us save a lot of baby hamour. I am waiting for formal communication from the municipality to take the next step,” he said.
Hamour stay alive without water for a long time and Bin Thani feels this can help in his endeavour to save them.
“Hamour can stay alive out of water for up to six hours and many of them are still alive when they are brought to the market. So my next step is to build a fish tank at the fish market and convince the fish sellers to drop baby hamour in the water tank, before we return them to the sea,” he said.
Bin Thani is also working with fishermen to educate them on the importance of returning baby hamour back to the sea and letting them mature and spawn so that the rate of depletion is arrested.
He is taking the campaign to social media, urging consumers as well to refrain from buying baby hamour.
