EWS-WWF and Fujairah municipality take Choose Wisely to fish market
Fujairah, 20 of May, 2010: EWS- WWF and Fujairah municipality took “Choose Wisely” campaign to Fujairah fish market, aiming to raise awareness of the status of UAE fish stocks and to promote sustainable fisheries.
EWS-WWF and Fujairah municipality representatives communicated the campaign message, urging UAE residents to choose wisely, and to move away from consuming overfished species. To help them make the right choice, the volunteers also distributed the consumer guide to sustainable fish. This wallet size guide has been developed by EWS-WWF with the support of Environment Agency- Abu Dhabi (EAD), classifying 19 popular fish types into 3 categories, based on stock assessment. The guide assigns a colour to each of those categories; red distinguishing overfished types that include many of the popularly consumed fish, such as Shaari, Kanaad, Farsh, and Hamour. It also marks other options with orange and green, giving UAE residents the opportunity to try different types of fish that are available within sustainable levels.
This guide is available in print form EWS-WWF offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as the Fujairah municipality offices. It can also be downloaded from the campaign’s website www.choosewisely.ae.
Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of EWS said: “We would like to thank Fujairah Municipality for their continuous support and commitment. It is with such support that we are able to bring this campaign to the residents of the UAE, aiming to empower them with consumer information about the status of these local valuable species, hoping to inspire them to Choose Wisely.”
The Choose Wisely campaign is supported by the Environment Agency- Abu Dhabi and EWS-WWF is actively seeking sponsors to help raise awareness of this important issue. EWS-WWF is also seeking retailers and restaurants that wish to get on board and become advocates of sustainable fishing, by offering sustainable varieties of local fish as well as making the consumer guide available to their customers.
Belonging to the same family as the famous “Shaari” , Shari Eshkeli can be easily distinguished by the red stripe on their “ear” or opercle, the opening to their gills. Unlike Shaari, they are not overfished in the UAE, making them a good sustainable alternative !
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