Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, issued Ministerial Decision No 656 for 2014 last week, regulating fishing by nets.
The decision is in line with the ministry’s interest in preserving the marine environment, supporting fishing and protecting fish resources. A key element of the ministry’s 2021 vision is to enhance the sustainability of live aquatic resources.
The decision permanently prohibits fishing by nets in breeding and reproduction areas as well as in fisheries and natural or industrial marine reserves. It also includes inland waters such as natural or artificial lakes and natural lagoons or those have been extended, as well as oil and gas fields and facilities.
All fishing boats must stop at registration and inspection points of the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority (CICPA) while leaving and returning from fishing trips.
All fishing boats must register their port of origin at CICPA before departing, and comply with rules require a specific distance be kept from natural islands and oil facilities.
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