Hina Saif Al Suwaidi, chairman of the Sharjah Environment and Natural Reserves Authority, has warned hikers and wildlife users of nine types of environmental violations, the fine of which starts at AED1,000 and up to 50,000. They include overgrazing and overfishing, leaving animals loose without a shepherd, harming wild organisms, destroying geological formations, or areas that are home to animal, plant or bird species, and dumping, burying or storing hazardous waste in any way in these areas. . The violations also include leveling the soil, damaging the vegetation, cutting the perennial and non-durable trees, which are of national and environmental importance, for the purpose of logging and others, and the disposal of the residues of technical and productive processes, construction, demolition, wastewater and oils used in sewage networks in the land areas.
Al Suwaidi told Emirates Today that the law prohibits activities contrary to the provisions of federal and local legislation regulating the protection of the environment, which would damage the natural system of wildlife environments and cause their deterioration. The inspection teams continued their work on their surveillance campaigns in the land areas during this period due to the improved atmosphere and the increased opportunity for hiking.
She pointed out that during the inspection of the wild areas, the Authority fined vehicles that pass randomly at the sites of growth of herbs and plants and in sites of environmental importance, 1000 dirhams.
Frequent offenses
The head of Sharjah Environment and Natural Reserves Authority, Saif Al Suwaidi, confirmed that there are frequent environmental violations in the wild areas, most notably dumping residues or leaving food, waste and barbecue residues. She added that the value of these violations is 2,000 dirhams, and the value of the violation is doubled if repeated within a year from the date of the first violation.