National fishermen pull out of troubled Fujairah waters

The number of UAE national fishermen on the East Coast dropped significantly last year, with many of them saying they are struggling to earn a living.

The number dropped by 15 per cent while the number of fishing boats fell by about 7 per cent. One of the reasons cited was a lack of Gulf or Arab nationals willing to go out on fishing trips, as required by law.

The number of expatriate fisherman, however, was found to have increased.

The number of national fishermen dropped from 592 in 2003 to 505 in 2004, while the number of expatriate fishermen increased to 438 last year, compared with 394 in 2003.

The figures are according to a report issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, represented by the Eastern Agricultural Zone. "The drop indicates the difficulties Fujairah fishermen faced last year and the poor income they get.

"This has obliged some of them to quit their jobs, stop fishing and sell their boats," director of the Eastern Agricultural Zone in Fujairah, Ebrahim Abdul Rahman, said.

The number of fishing boats dropped from 731 boats in 2003 to 681 in 2004. The 681 boats include 656 petrol-operated boats and 25 diesel-operated boats.

Some 12,500 tonnes of fish were caught in 2004, compared to 13,600 tonnes of fish in 2003.

"People are leaving the job due to old age, sickness and the lack of Gulf or Arab nationals, who have to be on-board UAE national fishermen's boats," Abdul Rahman said.

Rahman said it was also too expensive for UAE national fishermen to maintain their boats, as they were making less profit than before.