Maritime outreach to go nationwide

Three-month pilot project in Abu Dhabi familiarises fishermen with regulations governing fish catches and equipment.

ABU DHABI // The success of a three-month campaign to teach fishermen about new regulations on equipment and the annual fish catch has prompted the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA) to expand the programme beyond Abu Dhabi.

The CNIA, which is the federal body responsible for maritime security, is seeking to broaden the scope and reach of its enforcement and information campaign to several other emirates, in addition to expanding its hotline. "This was a pilot project. Next time the campaign will be carried out for a whole year, and we will include other agencies involved, such as environmental agencies," said Col Ishaq al Besher, the executive manager of the authority's operations section. "We will include more factors and target a wider audience."

The Bihar campaign, launched in Abu Dhabi in June, has held outreach events to fishermen. Most recently the CNIA has held iftars across the emirate, followed by question-and-answer sessions with frank discussions about new requirements of fishermen, safety and environmental regulations and more. The first meeting was held in Port Zayed on September 2, followed by a meeting in Al Mirfa on September 7. Last Tuesday, officials travelled to Delma Island, where local fishermen were provided with maps and brochures outlining and illustrating the basic fishing rules and highlighting illegal equipment, which includes guns, nets and cages that do not meet certain specifications.

The fishermen were reminded not to collect turtle eggs, pearl oysters, sponges or coral, and warned that fishing for marine mammals is prohibited, as is catching marine life for eggs, skin or fins. A critical part of the campaign was the launch of a dedicated helpline for maritime emergencies - 996. Col al Besher said the line has been receiving about 20 calls a day since mid-June. "When we first launched the number, most calls were diverted from police operations, but now we can see that the calls are directly being made to 996, which means the public is more familiar with the number," he said.

"Most calls are to report technical errors with the boats or boats getting stuck by shore. There were no major accidents or drownings." A toll-free number would also be launched soon for public enquiries about marine issues and regulations, as well as to receive complaints, the colonel added. "This time of year many people go out to sail, or ride jet skis. The water activity does not slow down during Ramadan," he said, "because some people work at sea, such as fishermen. Some people also sail for leisure or ride jet skis at night."

The maritime authority announced at the beginning of the summer that all fishing and sailing boats displacing less than 300 tonnes must fit an "epassport" homing device by September 15. The epassport enables the coast guard to monitor vessels better in UAE waters. [e-mail]