FISHED OUT FOR US: THE UAE'S HIGH DEMAND FOR FISH
66% of UAE residents eat fish at least once a week.
Results from a survey of fish consumption trends and preferences across the UAE show that UAE citizens and residents alike are heavy consumers of fish.
Fish are a healthy, delicious choice and an important component of the traditional Emirati diet. In order to sustain this resource, however, our demand must shift towards sustainably exploited fish populations.
Hamour: The UAE's most popular fish is also its most overfished
Close to 50% of UAE fish consumers order Hamour when eating at a restaurant. The iconic Grouper fish is hugely popular. Although many believe it to be readily available in the UAE and the Gulf, science says otherwise:
- A survey of fisheries resources across the UAE has shown that levels of epinephline groupers (i.e. fish that are in the same family as Hamour) have declined by about 87-92% between 1978 and 2003.
- Hamour is currently being fished at over 7 times the sustainable level.
- This decline is related to intense coastal development and unsustainable fishing.
Changes in the abundance of groupers ( Epinephelus spp.) between 1978 and 2002 in the UAE
(Source : Shallard et al., 2003)
Young Yanam and juveniles of other species in the sweetlips family swim in a very curious way: they move with a lot of undulating motion, possibly mimicking poisonous flatworms to fool predators. This makes baby sweetlips look like they are dancing underwater or “doing the twist”!
EWS-WWF is a national leading environmental NGO. EWS-WWF works at the federal level to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable living through education and conservation initiatives.
Supported by The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi