Fishermen (owners of commercial fishing boats), warned of the danger of what they described as "indiscriminate recreational fishing" on the sustainability of fisheries in the country, through the violation of some fishing trips fishing requirements of picnic fishing, and carry out overfishing, and catch large quantities within the scope of fishing Commercial. The Emirates Today monitored the spread of advertisements for recreational fishing trips on e-marketing sites as the public promises to have fun and return abundant quantities of fish, while the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi confirmed that it has prepared modern programs and methods to collect recreational fishing data in order to regulate this sector.
In particular, owners of fishing boats, Ahmed Nasser, Mohammed Al Balushi and Saeed Ghanem, told Emirates Today that the increase in the number of pleasure boats and the proliferation of recreational fishing boats, affect the fishing profession in the country, and threaten the sustainability of fisheries, pointing out that the companies that manage Boats and vessels of fishing trips are organized from 4 to 5 daily trips, which puts more pressure on the fisheries and contributes to the extinction of fish species, and a general weakness in fish stocks, especially since fishing in these trips does not differentiate between fish species, which threatens aquatic stocks And stop their reproduction in the waters of the state.
They pointed to the increase in fishing activities and trips in the period from October to May each year due to the low temperatures, pointing out that the hikers during the recreational fishing trips catch small fish that have the potential to grow, or hunting mothers carrying eggs in the breeding season, and all these things Affect the overall aquatic stock.
The Emirates Today monitored the spread of advertisements for recreational fishing trips on e-marketing sites and social networking sites, including fishing trips near the sea shores without entering the depths, and provide participants to catch tuna, and fishing trips at sea, which allows participants to catch grouper fish The trips provide a fishing experience for everyone, with all fishing equipment, bait and equipment available, the duration of the trip ranges from 4 to 8 hours, and the journey begins in the morning or late afternoon.
The announcements of the organizers of fishing trips that they ensure the return of abundant fishing, whether they are beginners or professional fishermen, and each participant will return a large number of fish, while some advertisements said that they use special fishing techniques in the deep sea, which help to find large fish, while ranged Participation fees are between AED 150 and AED 600 per person, depending on the itinerary and onboard accommodation.
For its part, the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi, said it has issued more than 4000 recreational fishing licenses since 2018 so far, noting that it is responsible for the control of recreational fishing trips through inspectors and observers, in addition to marine patrols and in cooperation with the protection of vital facilities and coasts concerned On a daily basis in various regions and coasts of the Emirate.
The Authority explained to the Emirates Today that the recreational fishing license is not allowed to be used in commercial fishing, explaining that the practice of commercial fishing without a license punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than two months and a fine of not less than 10 thousand dirhams and not more than 20 thousand dirhams, or one of these two The two penalties, the confiscation of tools used in fishing.
The Authority pointed out that the quantities caught are used for personal purposes, and there are currently no specific quantities for recreational fishing or a maximum amount of fish caught during these trips, pointing out that the quantities of fish caught in the recreational trip from commercial, because of the different equipment used In terms of fishing and the effort exerted by the practitioners of this hobby about commercial fishermen, she explained that it is developing modern programs and methods for collecting recreational fishing harvest data in order to regulate this sector in the future, in accordance with international best practices.
The main challenges
The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD), in the National Framework for the Sustainability of Fisheries in the UAE (2019-2030), stated that fishing in large quantities by the recreational fishing sector is one of the main challenges that put pressure on the fisheries resources in the country and threaten their sustainability.
Recreational fishing conditions
The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) reported on its official website that recreational fishing licenses fall into two categories: the first is a weekly recreational fishing license, the second is the annual recreational fishing license, and the first is issued to fishing enthusiasts from UAE nationals, residents (holders of valid residence permits), and tourists.
Holders of this license are allowed to enjoy fishing hobbies on the beaches of Abu Dhabi, while the annual fishing license is issued to UAE nationals and residents (holders of valid residency), and stipulates that the applicant must be at least 18 years of age.
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A fine AED commercial fishing practice without a license.