Dubai, UAE, July 28, 2016 – The head of the Fisheries Department at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Mr. Salah Abdullah Al Rayssi met a number of fishermen yesterday at the ministry's headquarters in Dubai. During the meeting he emphasized the importance of preserving the fish stock and protecting professional fishing in the UAE saying that it is considered one of the most ancient professions in the region. Al Rayssi also spoke to the attendees about the challenges the fish stock is facing and the role that the ministry plays by establishing legislations and policies to boost fish stock and reserves in local fishing waters.
Al Rayssi also praised the important role of fishermen in boosting the national economy and said that the ministry is keen on ensuring that their work helps maintain a sustainable fish stock and a productive working environment for them. The ministry, Al Rayssi stressed, continuously supports the fishermen by providing them with the tools they need in their profession.
As direct beneficiaries of the country's marine wealth, the attendees emphasized the importance of abiding by ministerial decrees and legislations which are in line with the UAE 2021 vision and aim to boost marine sustainability and to ensure food security for the present and future generations. He stressed the important role that the fishermen play in abiding by the ministerial decrees and contributing to the ministry's strategy in maintaining a sustainable source of income and a safer future while preserving the country's economy.
Recently, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) issued Ministerial Decree No.471 for the year 2016 on regulating surface fishing using beach seines. It aims at giving fishermen the opportunity to benefit from surface fishing, which holds great profits for them; as well as high nutritional benefits for consumers. The decree detailed specifications for the seines that are used to make sure that the small fish is able to escape from the net in the process.
The decree responded to the needs of the fishermen allowing them to set sail for surface fishing using beach seines from Fajr prayers to Maghreb prayers as opposed to from 6 am to 5 pm as was the case in the past. The specifications of the net was also modified according to the requirements of the fishermen with the holes of the net being changed from a width of 2.5 inches to 2 inches to enable the fishing of the medium and large-sized Qarfa and Darman fish. Under the new decree fishermen are also allowed to go fishing twice a day instead of just once.
Ministerial decrees that regulate the UAE's fishing profession are only issued after field inspections and studies carried out by experts from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and after consulting with local specialized authorities and environmental organizations in the UAE in addition to fishing experts and fishing associations. The ministry closely and continuously monitors seines fishing and confirms that there are no issues related to the fish volume that results from using the specified nets and that most fishermen are abiding by the legislations and specifications that the ministry has put in place over the last few years.