On the occasion of the Shark Week 2018, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) is organizing activities at the Atlantis Palm Hotel in Dubai to educate visitors and tourists about sharks and highlight their vital role in maintaining balance in the marine environment. MOCCAE is organizing the activities in cooperation with the Atlantis Palm Hotel from Sunday 22 until 28 July.
Taif Al Amiri, Director of the Government Communication Department at MOCCAE said that in implementation of the directives of UAE's wise leadership and in line with the country’s leading role in protecting the environment and preserving its balance, the Ministry is keen to implement tangible steps aimed at protecting the environment, raise awareness and strengthen cooperation with stakeholders to protect sharks and contribute to the global environmental balance and maintain a sustainable marine environment.
Al Amiri stressed that the UAE plays an important role in preserving biodiversity and increasing community awareness of the importance of promoting and conserving biodiversity in the marine environment, especially in light of the spread of excessive fishing and trade in shark fins, particularly in East Asia, which has affected many species of endangered sharks.
She pointed out that this year’s activities are held in line with the launch of the MOCCAE’s National Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks in the UAE, which aims to preserve biodiversity in the local environment of the UAE. She noted that the activities will include various awareness, educational and recreational activities to identify shark species in the country and its growth stages.
Taif Al Amiri added that the MOCCAE activities will also include competitions aimed at assessing young generation’s knowledge about the importance of sharks in keeping the ecological balance and the significance of protecting them from extinction. She said that the competitions also aim at providing the public with fun and amusing facts about these species. The public will also enjoy a tour at the Atlantis hotel to see the aquarium which will showcase divers with sharks of different sizes.
The public are welcomed from Sunday 22 to Saturday 28 July from 9 am to 8 pm at the Atlantis Palm Hotel in Dubai.