Our oceans hold a bounty of fish, a supply of food that has been savoured for generations. But the oceans' bounty is not boundless, its fish no more in abundance.
We are guilty of overfishing, depleting fish stocks to the point where they are no longer sustainable, and where species are disappearing faster than they can breed.
According to federal UAE law, no hamour under 45 centimetres should be caught or sold, and the same law specifies the length at which other fish species can be legally landed. A random survey of hamour in local supermarkets shows that small, juvenile fish are ending up on ice for sale and consumption.
Clearly, the enforcement of the federal law needs to be improved, with such small fish offered for sale.
The only effective means of making sure fish species are sustained is to ensure the law which prohibits their landing and sale is enforced.
