The UAE represented by Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has participated in the Second Meeting of Signatories (MOS2) to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MoU) held from February 15 to 19, 2016 in San Jose, Costa Rica. The 39 signatories to the memorandum and representatives from the government and semi-government entities and private organizations involved in shark preservation attended the high-level gathering.
The international meeting’s main focus was to preserve and protect migratory sharks from increasing threats. The UAE’s participation is in line with its efforts to safeguard wildlife and endangered animal and plant species as an important component of UAE Vision 2021 and National Biodiversity Strategy. The Strategy supports global initiatives towards biodiversity preservation, environmental sustainability, and protection of endangered species.
Several pressing issues were discussed during the meeting such as updating the annexes of Sharks MoU to include sawfish, manta and other types of species, bringing the current number listed in the MoU to 29. The attendees also looked into the present situation of ongoing efforts to preserve migratory sharks and ways to improve their population through research, monitoring, and information exchange. Added to these are the international cooperation among relevant organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and regional fishery bodies, as well as multilateral environmental biodiversity agreements when needed. The participants also tackled their collaborative efforts with international organizations, the mechanisms of the proposed national reports, and the means to prepare approved national preservation plans.
The reports presented during the meeting commended the UAE for its relevant initiatives, chief of which are its public awareness and education campaigns and capacity building programs in collaboration with the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The capacity building programs have been designed by numerous local authorities and attended by various Arab countries. A seminar was held on the sidelines of the meeting to present the most important initiatives undertaken by the UAE in collaboration with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi. Local laws and legislations on shark preservation, awareness and educational programs, and human capacity building programs were highlighted during the seminar. Additionally, the MOS2 participants learned about the proposed objectives and initiatives with regard to the preparations of a national plan on migratory shark conservation over the next four years. The national plan promotes the UAE’s leadership in preserving sharks in the region.
The UAE participated in several working groups such as those organized to examine key documents and make recommendations for submission to the Secretariat, review credential and accreditation processes, and study the proposed mechanisms for national reporting.
The UAE has signed Sharks MoU in 2014 alongside nine Arab countries to support international efforts aimed at reducing risks facing sharks and other marine species such as habitat destruction, poaching and illegal trade, and climate change, among others. Subsequently, Ministerial Decree No. 500 of 2014 was issued to organize fishing and trading sharks in the country. Appropriate conditions and controls were implemented as well to regulate the fishing of sharks in accordance with international resolutions and preserve the migratory sharks listed in annexes of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).