ABU DHABI // In his white overalls and tall chef's hat, Olivier Loreaux does not look like an activist.
Those who work to protect the UAE's most threatened - and ubiquitous - fish are usually government officials, scientists and conservationists. But Mr Loreaux has become an effective ally in the fight to conserve hammour, which is so popular that it is fished at seven times its sustainable level.
Mr Loreaux's job as the executive chef of a five-star hotel has nothing to do with imposing limits on fishermen or measuring the size of fish populations. However, by working with the team of chefs at Le Royal Méridien in Abu Dhabi, he has helped to educate guests and set an example for other hoteliers by changing the menu and buffets to reflect that the fish is threatened with extinction.
"I like this challenge because it is important for the future," he said. "If we continue the same way, hammour and tuna, in 10 years it will all be gone."
Mr Loreaux was spurred into action by the Emirates Wildlife Society - World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF) Choose Wisely campaign. Launched in April, it aims to educate consumers and restaurants about alternatives to hammour, kingfish and six other fish species that have declined on average by 80 per cent between 1978 and the early years of this decade.
The campaign aims to get the eight threatened species off menus and out of shopping carts, replacing them with 11 alternatives.
This year, Nesreen al Zahlawi, one of the campaigners, took Mr Loreaux to the Abu Dhabi fish market. Some of the fish on offer were so small they had not had a chance to reproduce. After the sustainable alternatives had been pointed out to him, Mr Loreaux briefed his chefs and gave them a week to come up with suitable recipes.
With its creamy white texture, the hammour, or orange-spotted grouper, was "like hommous and tabouleh" here, Mr Loreaux said, adding that imagination might have as much to do with saving it as science and regulation.
If people ventured outside the confines of the staple diet and looked for other local fish, they could help avert the decline of the hammour as well as have many enjoyable meals with more abundant varieties, he said.
The hotel's four restaurants have each begun offering one dish prepared with sustainable fish. The concept has been expanded to the dinner cruises on its Shuja boat. One alternative is the two-bar seabream, also known in Arabic as faskar, which Amalfi, the hotel's Italian restaurant, serves in potato crust with stewed zucchini and aubergine.
The faskar is one of seven local fish that the Choose Wisely team said was not declining and could be eaten without restrictions. Mr Loreaux said it was proving popular with customers.
"Guests say it is fresh and tasty," he said.
At Soba, a Japanese restaurant, faskar features in a sashimi dish. It is accompanied by the king soldier bream, or kofar, and the small tooth emperor, or souli. These two fish are listed among four species that the campaign recommends be eaten in moderation.
At the Al Fanar restaurant, souli is served poached with fennel, citrus jus and shellfish. So far, hotel guests had been on board, said Simona Fianchini, the restaurant manager.
"When guests ask us for hammour, we explain why we do not have it on the menu," she said. "Actually, they like it. Hammour is soft, this tastes more of fish. Guests enjoy."
While some of the hotel's other restaurants still offer hammour a la carte, said Mr Loreaux, it had been removed from buffets. In addition, the sustainable dishes are marked on the menu as responsible choices.
The plan, he said, was to expand the programme to the five other Starwood Hotels and Resorts in the capital, including the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort and Aloft Abu Dhabi.
Ms al Zahlawi is busy lobbying other hotels, and is confident that they will follow suit.
"At this moment, Chef Olivier and Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi are the only ones to make sustainable fish dishes a permanent feature of their menus," she said. "We are engaging with other hotel operators and their chefs, and we hope to announce their participation and involvement in this campaign once it happens."
Michael Pearson, the executive chef at the Shangri-La hotel, Qaryat Al Beri in Abu Dhabi, said its management would consider joining the campaign. A spokesman for Jumeirah Group, which operates the Burj al Arab, said the chain had already taken a similar action.
"We no longer offer bluefin tuna and we are drastically reducing the amount of hammour and kingfish options available on our menus and in our buffets. We are looking at ways to raise awareness of these issues among our colleagues and our guests."
@Email:vtodorova@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan