Civic body sets new recreational fishing rules

Dubai Municipality is introducing new regulations for recreational fishing, said a senior official.

Ridah Hasan Salman, Head of the Environment Protecting Section, said those engaging only in line fishing from the shore can take out a licence valid for six months.

Those going out on boats will need a different licence valid for a year.

"We have been calling for all recreational fishing enthusiasts in Dubai to obtain their fishing permits from April 15. At the moment the licence will be free of charge. Once we finalise a survey a fee will be introduced. We are also considering ways of issuing licences for diving enthusiasts," he said.

The municipality began issuing a licence for fishing as a trade in 2000, renewable every two years. Those applying for this kind of licence must first obtain permission from the fishing committee, the Ministry of Communi-cations and the Coast Guard.

The latest move, however, ties up with the federal law protection the environment and marine resources.

Applications for either licence should be accompanied by a passport copy, vehicle registration, driving licence, labour card for expatriates, residence permit or rent contract for expatriates and two photographs.

The licence will be issued in a week.

Salman said: "We will also issue a temporary licence for tourists which will be given in advance to the tourist office or hotels that allow tourists to use it."

Those fishing without a permit will face heavy penalties, he warned, stating: "We are looking to preserve the marine life."

He said that a survey will be undertaken, via a questionnaire, to assess those applying for the licence. The questionnaire for recreational line fishing only will ask participants to mention where they would go fishing, how many times a week, how many hours, what kind of fish they usually catch, and how much. Other questions will enquire about the equipment used.

Those applying for the one year licence should mention how far offshore they would fish, among other information.