Sharks for sale in the UAE. Overfishing of various species has resulted in them being endangered. Antonie Robertson / The National
Sharks for sale in the UAE. Overfishing of various species has resulted in them being endangered. Antonie Robertson / The National
Sharks for sale in the UAE. Overfishing of various species has resulted in them being endangered. Antonie Robertson / The National
Sharks for sale in the UAE. Overfishing of various species has resulted in them being endangered. Antonie Robertson / The National

Region to list at-risk species


  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // Marine biologists and researchers gathered in Abu Dhabi to create the first regional endangered species list and find out how to better conserve threatened sharks, rays and chimaeras throughout the Arabian seas.

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (Ead), working with International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have submitted their findings from the meeting to re-evaluate the regional conservation status of the species in the region.

Sharks, rays and chimaeras form one of the world’s oldest and most ecologically diverse groups of animals, yet a quarter of the world’s species are threatened with an elevated risk of extinction, and ray species are found to be at an even higher risk than sharks.

“Usually the IUCN assessed the status of a species around the world, but more and more we are trying to determine the status of species on a regional level, and this is the first regional assessment of sharks and rays in the north-west Indian Ocean region,” said Dr Rima Jabado, a fisheries scientist at the Ead and the regional co-chair of the IUCN’s shark specialists.

The findings from 22 scientists involved in the research will be published in June and will help governments and organisations redirect their conservation priorities towards those species identified as endangered.

In fact, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment’s National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, to be published this year, is expected to make use of those findings to base its decisions on the conservation status of the more than 153 species of sharks, rays and chimaeras that exist in the region.

“While there have been significant regional policy efforts over the past five years, effective conservation requires a better understanding of the threats species face in our region and their conservation status,” said Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, Ead’s executive director of terrestrial and marine biodiversity sector.

Overexploitation from targeted as well as incidental catch is the main threat causing declines in species worldwide and increasingly so in the region.

“Sharks and rays are facing an elevated risk of extinction worldwide and we are concerned about the long-term survival of these species.

“Most [shark] species tend to grow slowly and produce few young, leaving them particularly vulnerable to overfishing,” said Dr Nick Dulvy, the shark specialist group co-chair.

Results from studies in the UAE and the broader region also suggest that several species of sharks and rays face high levels of exploitation, with declines in population numbers over the past decade.

The project plans to publish findings that will differentiate between global conservation classes and those that specifically pertain to the north Arabian Sea region, which includes the Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea down to India and Sri Lanka.

“For example, the sawfish is considered critically endangered on a global scale, so the idea here is to determine what the status of these species is in the region, considering they are occasionally captured off Abu Dhabi,” Dr Al Dhaheri said.

This would allow scientists and researchers to refocus their -efforts on the animals that require the most care.

The report, to be published in June, will be useful as reference material and a guide for conservation efforts in the region.

The main pressures on the fish are overfishing, habitat destruction and pollution – and conservation efforts in the Gulf require more research to assess the risk for each species.

nalwasmi@thenational.ae

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The%20specs
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)

Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder

Gearbox  Nine-speed automatic

Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm

Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

MATCH SCHEDULE

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)

Liverpool v Roma

Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)

Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26

Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-cylinder%202-litre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E252%20brake%20horsepower%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E352Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh146%2C700%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Results:

First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15

Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

TOUCH RULES

Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.

Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.

Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.

A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.

After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.

At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.

A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.

ACL Elite (West) - fixtures

Monday, Sept 30

Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)

Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

List of officials:

Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.

Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.

CREW
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets