The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Umm Al Quwain to launch a fish hatchery project with the aim of providing artificial habitat for fish to replenish their stocks in the emirate.

In collaboration with the Umm Al Quwain Cooperative Society for Fishermen, representing DED, the Ministry will install metal cages in Umm Al Quwain Creek. The site was carefully chosen, as it has the proper current and depth for fish to spawn, and is surrounded by a green belt of mangroves that supports aquatic life. The cages will provide a home for a large number of breeding fish, protect the fish and the eggs from surrounding threats and, ultimately, improve the hatch rates.

According to scientific studies, every fish can lay between 300,000 and 500,000 eggs, with the survival rate of the larvae as low as 1.5 percent. Fertilization at the cages is 50 percent higher than under normal conditions.

During the pilot phase, MOCCAE installed two cylinder-shaped metal cages (3m x 3.6m) holding nearly 300 sheri (emperor) fish and a smaller number of other species in Umm Al Quwain Creek.

The project scope involves conducting fish stock surveys at the chosen sites prior to cage installation and following the spawning season. The exercise focuses on biodiversity and species distribution, and includes collecting water samples to study plankton.

Under the MoU, MOCCAE and DED seek to execute joint programs to boost fish stocks in the emirate, run surveys of natural and artificial marine habitats, including qualitative and quantitative analysis of their biomass, and compile digital data on the fish catch volume at fishermen’s landing and trading sites.

The project aligns with the Ministry’s strategic goal of sustaining living aquatic resources through national programs and plans, featuring methods such as cultivation of coral reefs and mangroves, installing artificial caves, and building tidal pools.