UAE has announced a four-month seasonal ban on fishing for sharks and rays. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) imposes an annual fishing and trade ban on sharks and rays from March 1 to June 30, coinciding with the spawning season of the fish.
The decision is in line with Ministerial Resolution No. 43 of 2019 regulating shark fishing and trade.
A statement by the authority read “The resolution is part of the Ministry’s efforts to regulate commercial fishing and ensure the sustainability of fish stocks in UAE waters with the aim of enhancing the country’s food security.”
The ban will take place during the same season, every year.
Ministerial Resolution No. 43 of 2019 alleviates the pressure on sharks due to overfishing and habitat degradation. In addition to the seasonal ban, it imposes a permanent ban on fishing shark and ray species listed in CITES, CMS, and the Federal Law No. 23 of 1999 concerning the exploitation, protection, and development of living aquatic resources in the UAE and its amendments.
It also permanently prohibits the import and re-export of shark fins – fresh, frozen, dried, salted, smoked, canned, or in any other form – excluding fins that are imported for scientific purposes, subject to the approval of the ministry.
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