NEWS
EAD RECORDS A REMARKABLE IMPROVEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE FISHING
FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR
Hamdan bin Zayed praises the commitment of the fishermen, the support of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi’s partners, and their effective role in implementing the decisions and procedures related to fishing. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, (EAD) praised the commitment of fishermen and their effective role in implementing the decisions and measures related to the fishing sector taken by the Agency to protect fish stocks. The new measures contributed significantly to reducing the effects of overfishing on the marine environment and resulted in an improvement in the fisheries ‘Sustainable Exploitation Index’ for the third year in a row. The index increased from 8.9% in 2018 to 62.3% at the end of 2021. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said, “The Agency would not have been able to record achievements in the field of protecting marine resources without the fruitful cooperation of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE)
and its strategic partners. The stakeholders partnered within the framework have made comprehensive efforts to protect fish stocks, preserve the marine environment and its natural resources, and achieve sustainability in this sector. We must preserve the fishing heritage passed on from our ancestors for our future generations so they can enjoy the goodness of our land, and our cultural and natural heritage.” His Highness Sheikh Hamdan added, “Due to the over-exploitation of fisheries and their severe depletion, the fishing sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi was under pressure, which led to the reduction of stocks of the main commercial species to unsustainable levels, according to international benchmarks. This required the implementation of a set of international procedures and standards for the management of fisheries in Abu Dhabi, which today, has succeeded in achieving remarkable results.These were reflected in the performance indicators of fisheries, within the framework of the ambitious plan set by the Agency, with its relevant partners to transform the stock from a state of overexploitation to sustainably exploited.”
He further elaborated, “The measures taken by the Agency in response to population growth and the growing demand for fish, which has led to increased pressures on fish resources, will contribute to enabling fish stocks to recover on the long run, allowing at least 70% of our fisheries resources to recover sustainably by 2030.” He also indicated that the increase in the Sustainable Exploitation Index to 62.3%, indicates that the administrative measures implemented are moving in the right direction, which will lead to the recovery of fish stocks by 2030. Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD said, “Based on detailed evaluations and scientific studies of fish resources conducted by us at EAD, and other relevant authorities throughout the years, a system of globally acceptable methods for managing the fish stocks has been created and implemented in collaboration with our partners. These efforts resulted in the establishment of several marine reserves, the introduction and implementation of a system for licensing commercial and JUNE 2022 | DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
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