The Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate

51°E

52°E

53°E

54°E

55°E

157

C OMMERCIAL F ISHING A REAS T ARAD B OATS , H ADAQ F ISHING M ETHOD

A r a b i a n G u l f

Ajman

Sharjah

Fishing Ground Visits Low Medium High Fishing Landing Sites 2008 Al Yasat Boundary

Dubai

The fishing grounds used by tarads are close to their home ports because of limitations on the range these vessels can travel. Hadaq fishing is allowed for local fishermen living inside the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve. In contrast, no fishing is allowed in Al Yasat or Bul Syayeef Marine Protected Areas (the fishing grounds extend into the Al Yasat MPA boundary on this map because the data were derived in 2008, prior to finalisation of the MPA boundary in 2009).

Sir Abu Nu’air, Sharjah

20,000

25°N

25°N

Carangidae Haemulidae Lethrinidae Lutjanidae Portunidae Scombridae Serranidae Sparidae Others

AED

15,000

Al Sadar

10,000

Free Port

Mkasib

Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve

5,000

Qaffay

Abu Dhabi

Saadiyat

Muhayyimat

Tarad Boats & Hadaq Fishing Method Tarads are open fibreglass dories measuring 6–8 metres in length which are usually equipped with 2 outboard engines. The duration of a fishing trip is usually 4–8 hours with an occasional maximum trip length of 2 days. There are a total of 750 active tarad vessels in Abu Dhabi Emirate. Hadaq or hand line is a single line with 1–2 baited hooks, used by hand. There are no restrictions on the use of hadaq operated by commercial or recreational fishermen.

0

Sila’a

Dalma

Mirfa Al Bateen Free Port Al Saadiyat Al Sadar

Al Bateen

Ghaghah

Dalma

Al Yasat MPA

Wholesale value landing by tarad boats The total wholesale value of fish landed by tarad fisher- men using hadaq in Abu Dhabi Emirate was estimated at 24 million AED in 2008. Kan’aad (Scomberomorus com- merson) , hamour (Epinephelus coioides) , shaari (Lethri- nus nebulosus) and jesh (Carangidae) were the most valued species, accounting for 30%, 23%, 21% and 21% of the total wholesale value, respectively. The Abu Dhabi Free Port was the single most important landing site (61%), followed by Al Sadr (19%) and Dalma (9%).

Bul Syayeef MPA

Musaffah

Sir Bani Yas

Bani Yas

Jebel Dhanna

Al Ain

Mirfa

Note: Commercial fishing is prohibited from taking place within 500 metres of active oil and natural gas conces- sions. Due to the inaccuracies that can result from gen- erating an overlay map using raw fishing data, it may incorrectly appear that some of the prohibited areas are actively fished.

Ruwais

Tarif

Sila’a

24°N

24°N

20

0

20

40 Kilometres

51°E

52°E

53°E

54°E

55°E

L ANSH B OATS , G ARGOOR F ISHING M ETHOD

A r a b i a n G u l f

Ajman

Two distinct fishing grounds are identified for lansh (a local word derived from ‘launch’) boats deploying gargoor fish traps. The fishing ground stretching west from Sir Abu Nu’air is exclusively visited by lansh boats from Free Port in Abu Dhabi. Because of the distance they need to travel, fishermen undertake 3–4 trips per month, with each trip lasting on average 3.5 days. They usually deploy the maximum number of 125 gargoors ( garagir ) each trip. The fishing ground north of Dalma is frequented by the fleet based in Dalma. Due to the relatively short distance, these fishermen take up to 20 daily trips a month, using only 50 gargoors each trip. This map shows fishing grounds extending into the Al Yasat MPA. No lansh boat fishing is permitted in any of the MPAs; these data are from 2008, prior to finalisation of the Al Yasat MPA boundary.

Sharjah

Fishing Ground Visits Low Medium High Fishing Landing Sites 2008 Al Yasat Boundary

Dubai

Sir Abu Nu’air, Sharjah

30,000

25°N

25°N

Carangidae Haemulidae Lethrinidae Lutjanidae Portunidae Scombridae Serranidae Sparidae Others

AED

22,500

Al Sadar

15,000

Free Port

Mkasib

Saadiyat

Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve

Qaffay

7,500

Abu Dhabi

Lansh Boats & Gargoor Fishing Method Lanshes are traditionally built wooden dhows ranging from 12–22 metres in length that are equipped with inboard diesel engines. There are around 350 lansh boats active in Abu Dhabi Emirate that fish from their main home ports in Abu Dhabi (Free Port) and on Dalma Island. The gargoor is a dome-shaped wire trap, which is usually baited with a mixture of bread and dried fish and sunk for a period of 5–20 days. In 2003, fisheries management regulations were imposed in Abu Dhabi Emirate that allowed licensing of gargoor only to fishermen on lansh boats, and a maximum of 125 gargoor per boat.

Al Yasat MPA

Muhayyimat

Dalma

0

Al Bateen

Ghaghah Sila’a Dalma Mirfa Al Bateen Free Port Al Saadiyat Al Sadar

Wholesale value landing by lansh boats The total wholesale value of fish landed by lansh boats deploying garagir in Abu Dhabi Emirate was estimated at 33 million AED in 2008. Hamour ( Epinephelus coioides ), shaari ( Lethrinus nebulosus ) and jesh (Carangidae) com- prised the majority, accounting for 52%, 18% and 16% of the total wholesale value, respectively. Abu Dhabi Free Port was the principal landing site, making up 74% of the total wholesale value of fish landed by lansh boats.

Bul Syayeef MPA

Musaffah

Sir Bani Yas

Bani Yas

Jebel Dhanna

Al Ain

Note: Commercial fishing is prohibited from taking place within 500 metres of active oil and natural gas concessions or within 3 nautical miles of islands. Due to the inaccura- cies that can result from generating an overlay map using raw fishing data, it may incorrectly appear that some of the prohibited areas are actively fished.

Mirfa

Ruwais

Sila’a

Tarif

20

0

20

40 Kilometres

24°N

24°N

51°E

52°E

53°E

54°E

55°E