Posting on their
Facebook Page on Wednesday, Dubai Municipality have reported that the Environment Department have confiscated a large number of sharks from Deira fish market. The sharks had been landed at a time of the year when shark fishing is not permitted in the UAE and the photos showed the fins had been removed from the carcasses - something which is also illegal in the UAE.
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| Sharks which had been illegally landed at Deira fish market. Photo credit: Dubai Municipality |
According to
Ministerial Decree No. 500 - which came into effect on the 1st September 2014 - registered fishermen may only fish for sharks between the 1st of July to the end of January the following year; in addition to this the Government has put in place further restrictions on shark fishing in the waters around the UAE. Fishermen may only use circle hooks to catch sharks; circle hooks have been proven to be more humane than J hooks (See
The Shark Post: Researchers in Brazil find new techniques to improve the survival rate of tiger sharks caught in longline fisheries). The decree also forbids the taking of shark and manta species listed in CITES appendix I and II and enforces a 5 mile exclusion zone around the mainland. More importantly, the UAE Government has addressed the issue of shark finning by making it illegal to catch sharks solely for their fins. In addition to this sharks must be brought to land whole, preventing the removal of fins at sea.
Evidence that the Dubai Government is enforcing these laws and issuing heavy penalties to the violators is good news as it shows their commitment to protecting the fish species in their waters.
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