Abu Dhabi: The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has recorded a significant rise in the Sustainable Exploitation Index for the fourth consecutive year, following the implementation of fishing-related measures and procedures. The index increased from 8.9 percent in 2018 to 69.1 percent at the end of 2022 and was calculated by evaluating a total of 35 fish species, which accounted for 97 percent of landings in 2022.
Since 2001, the agency has been monitoring the state of fish stocks according to two basic indicators of sustainability. The first, the Spawning Biomass per Recruit (SBR) index, is the percentage of the fish that are old enough to spawn, allowing for the renewal of the stock. The second indicator is the Sustainable Exploitation Index, used to describe the proportion of species that are sustainably exploited.
An increase in the index indicates that the administrative measures implemented in the fisheries are having a positive impact, which will help lead to the recovery of fish stocks by 2030.
As a result of the strengthened protection operations and the activation of regulatory procedures carried out by the agency, landing quantities of some major fish species have increased. This has relieved pressure on fisheries and contributed to their recovery, proving that the results obtained in fisheries performance indicators underscore the importance of EAD’s continuing implementation of a ban on gargoor fishing and encircling net methods in Abu Dhabi waters.
The agency stressed the importance of its existing cooperation with the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority in preserving the marine environment, regulating the exploitation of fish wealth, and supporting eco-tourism as well as cultural and recreational activities in Abu Dhabi.
The agency further praised the commitment of fishermen and the cooperation of fishermen’s associations and their effective role in implementing the decisions and procedures related to fishing taken by the agency to protect fish stocks. This has contributed significantly to reducing the effects of overfishing on the marine environment and achieving an improvement in the state of fish stocks in the emirate’s waters for the fourth consecutive year.