The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) has issued a resolution to ban the use of gargoor nets in Abu Dhabi from May.
The move is part of a comprehensive plan to ensure the protection and recovery of fisheries in the emirate and in line with the recommendations, studies, and monitoring programmes of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD).
The resolution comes in response to the recent results of the Fisheries Resources Assessment Survey to assess the state of Abu Dhabi’s fish stocks.
The survey revealed that the demersal fish stock is vulnerable to high deterioration, with the hamour and farsh witnessing a significant decline to 10 percent of their adult stock size and are being overexploited by up to five times the sustainable limit.
Demersal fish live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes.
The decision requires all fishermen who are registered with MoCCAE to suspend the use of gargoor nets in the waters of Abu Dhabi before May 1. The ban excludes all gargoor nets used on boats registered with the Ministry and approved by EAD for research and scientific study purposes.
The results of the Fisheries Resources Assessment Survey indicates that immediate measures need to be taken to protect the fish stocks from over-fishing.
EAD said it is seeking to raise the proportion of fish that are caught sustainably to 70 percent.
According to studies conducted by EAD, gargoor nets target highly-exploited species such as hamour, shaari and farsh.
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