19-09-2014, 12:11 PM
Report on the Marine Fisheries in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Marine Fisheries.doc (Size: 26 KB / Downloads: 6)
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to highlight one of the major biodiversity issues within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Marine Fisheries, subject was chosen based on the wide impact on many areas.
Marine fisheries is considered a critical biodiversity issue due to the massive and random commercial and recreational fishing activities and techniques as well as marine pollution caused by industrial onshore and offshore facilities and illegal discharge, dumping and disposal to marine environment by commercial vessels.
The above leads to endangering the fisheries and impact it sustainability by disturbing and affecting its breeding and continuity caused by any of the above factors as examples.
2.0 Roles of Government & Non-Government Organizations
This issue was dealt seriously by the government of United Arab Emirates through its Federal Authority, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources as well as local Emirate Level Authorities such as the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi to assess the situation and set legal requirements, policies and procedures to manage this issue.
The Federal Law No. 24 for 1999 “Environment Protection Law” and its Executive Regulations was issued to support these efforts and enforce legally, furthermore, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi developed, implemented and monitored various programs to educate and regulate commercial and recreational fishing activities as well as environmental pollutions caused by onshore and offshore industrial facilities and vessels sailing within the emirate and country waters.
3.0 Strategies & Actions
Abu Dhabi Emirate through the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and its strategic partners such as Government and Non-Government Organizations in addition to private sectors launched a massive awareness campaign on beach clean ups, impacts of illegal discharge, dumping and disposal to the marine environment and its severe effects as well as the new commercial and recreational fishing procedure, operations and techniques subject for monitoring and regulations through the following:
- Licensing commercial and recreational fishing boats and persons.
- Assigning areas for seasonal fishing permitted to be accessed within the year.
- Tracking the fishing boats.
- Patrolling the coastal and offshore marine areas for any illegal fishing or waste discharging, dumping or disposal activities and access violation in restricted and classified areas.
All the above set of actions are managed on a manner that ensures its sustainability and applicability to preserve and protect the endangered marine environment and fisheries. violations are dealt with seriously and periodical reports are issued for the efficiency and effectiveness of the strategies mentioned above to check areas for improvement.
4.0 Conclusion
Abu Dhabi Government made a great effort to control and manage this issue, although the challenge was great as it tackles a lot of stakeholders and diversity of the impacts from different sector levels such as industries, fishermen, public, etc.
So far the measures taken are controlling the issue and managing, reports supporting all the above can be found and provided through the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi the Competent Authority for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in-charge of enforcing and implementing the above aside to any other environmental issue.