Dubai: The annual fishing and trade ban on Arabian safi and sheri fish will come into effect again this year from March 1 to April 30. The ban, which coincides with the spawning season, is held under the Ministerial Decision No. 501 of 2015 that regulates the fishing and trade of these species. Imposed by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), the decision prohibits the fishing of the two species and any trade in their local or imported by-products. It also prohibits their import and re-export in any form during this time. A survey conducted by MOCCAE between 2015-2018 revealed that that the population of harvested juvenile safi has declined from 41.2 per cent in the first year to 17.4 per cent in the third, while the average length of the fish caught has increased from 23.9cm to 24.9cm over the three-year period. The same was found with sheri, where an increase in stock and length was also recorded from 65cm to 68cm.