Shark Fishery in the United Arab Emirates

Ministerial Decision No. (216) for the year 2011on the
amendment the Ministerial Decision No. (542) for the year 2008
on the organizing measures for capturing of shark

Minister of Environment and Water,

Pursuant to the Federal Law No. (1) for the year 1972 on the functions of the ministries and the powers of the ministers and the laws issued in amendment thereto,

And the Federal Law No. (23) for the year 1999 on the exploitation, protection and development of live fisheries in the UAE and its executive by-law,

And the Cabinet Resolution No. (21) for the year 2009 on the organizational structure of the ministry of Environment & Water and the laws issued in amendment thereto,

And the Ministerial Decision No. (542) for the year 2008 on the organizing measures for capturing of shark,

And based on the necessities of the general benefit,

Have decided the following:

Article (1)

The fishing boat and fishing gear

1. Capture of sharks must be limited to vessels only.
2. Capture of sharks shall be allowed only for the licensed motor vessels by the Ministry of Environment and Water.
3. Fishing practice shall be allowed to the owner of the vessel or his representative from the UAE citizens, provided that the fishing license of the owner or his representative is valid.
4. Shark capture shall be limited to using hooks numbers (1 and 2) provided that the number of hooks shall not exceed 100 hooks per vessel.

Article (2)

Fishing season

Capture of shark shall be prohibited from the starting date of January till the end of April of each year.

Article (3)

Fishing waters

Capture of shark shall be confined to waters by a distance of not less than five nautical miles far from the country coasts, and shall not be less than three nautical miles from the Islands and not less than one nautical mile from the natural or artificial coral reefs.

Article (4)

Prohibited caught of shark species

Caught of whale sharks and sort fishes shall be prohibited.

Article (5)

Process of caught sharks

Capture of sharks for their fins shall be prohibited. It’s also prohibited to throw the sharks body or part thereof in the sea, and the whole body of the caught sharks must be brought to the landing port.

Article (6)

Cooperation with the competent authorities

Owners of vessels licensed to capture sharks shall cooperate with the coast guard, the competent authorities and the Ministry of Environment & Water to provide the necessary data about the quantity of caught, number of the actual fishing days and fishing areas and determine the places frequented by fishing vessels, number and types of the used fishing gear and methods for the exploitation of the caught fishes in addition to allow the technicians to examine the caught fishes, conduct fish measurements as well as collecting data of various landing areas.

Article (7)

This decision shall put into effect and shall be implemented from the date of its issuance, and all the previous issued laws that contravene or contradict this decree shall be cancelled.

Issued at 8 Jamadi the second 1432 HJ

Corresponding to 11-05-2011

Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad

Minister of Environment and Water

Source: UAE Ministry of Environment & Water