The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water implemented a temporary ban on fishing until April 30, 2016, in order to address overfishing.
The price of fish in the UAE has gone up by approximately $5 (AED18) per kilo after the country introduced new trawling regulations as on March 1.
The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water implemented a temporary ban on fishing until April 30, 2016, in order to address overfishing, which was negatively impacting local fishermen.
Among the measures taken by the ministry are a clampdown on illegal fishing trap methods and new licensing requirements for fishing boats, reports sister publication Arabian Business.
However, fish vendors have reported a shortage of fresh catch and rising prices as a result of the restrictions.
The price of king fish is currently approximately US $10.80 (AED40) per kilo, compared to US $6.80 (AED25) per kilo last year, according to Emirates247, while prawns cost up to $21.70 (AED80) per kilo.
A vendor was quoted as saying: “From March 1 to April 30, there is a new restriction on fishing, especially Sheri and Safi, two popular fish varieties for UAE citizens and expatriates. We have been warned against displaying or selling these varieties of fish and if we are caught by the authorities, there is heavy penalty too.
“Usually, during the winter months of December until February, availability of fresh fish in the market used to be very smooth and prices remained low. But this year, the trend has been reversed,” he added.
The UAE has also launched a campaign to save sharks in national waters with officials raiding fish markets across the country in a bid to end the illegal trading of shark fin.
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