"We have developed fisheries management plans, issued regulations to control the fishing effort and continue to regulate the conditions under which commercial fishing may occur. Despite these measures, some of our fisheries are still being overfished and that is why this release was necessary," said Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, Director of EAD's Biodiversity Management Sector.
"We are working to rebuild spawning stock biomass by augmenting the natural supply of juveniles, mitigating losses due to anthropogenic effects, supplementing fisheries that may be under pressure from fishing and improving the production from already sustainable fisheries," he added.
Mr Al Abdessalaam said that stock enhancement programmes such as this one offer possible remediation for non-fishery related impacts on fisheries, such as ecological disruption, the pressures of development on existing fishery habitats and fishing locations.
Local Fish Released To Boost Abu Dhabi Fisheries
UAE - The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Fish Farming Holding Company P.J.S.C. (ASMAK), a leading aquaculture company in the UAE, have released 50,000 fingerlings and juveniles of two local fish species: hamour (orange spotted grouper) and sobaity.
