The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) yesterday held a special viewing of a documentary at Expo 2020. Called‘Our Sea…Our Future’, the feature-length production showcases the success story of improving fish stocks in Abu Dhabi and was shown as part of the EAD Inspiration Seriesat Expo 2020 Dubai’s Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion in celebration of World Fisheries Day.

The event was part of Expo 2020’s one-of-a-kind community art project, Hammour House’s talk series with ‘The Sailor and the Scientist’, which saw diverse segments of the community come together to discuss how to maintain and balance food security, heritage and tradition, and a holistic future for sustainability.

At the event, which was attended by stakeholders and partners, the audience was also able to hear live the opinions and stories of actual fishermen who were part of the programme to enhance Abu Dhabi’s fisheries.The session was moderated by Reem Al Baharna, EAD’s Section Manager, Fisheries Management and featured fishermen Hashim Saeed Al Romaithi; Juma Mohammed Al Romaithi; Eid Juma Al Romaithi; Mohammed bin Saber AlMazrui; and Hamad bin Ghareeb AlMazrui.

EAD has been monitoring the status of Abu Dhabi’s fish stocks since 2001,and in recent years has noticed a major improvement in the number of the most commercially fished species found in the emirate’s waters.

The increase in fish stock numbers is the result of several proactive measures undertaken by EAD, such as the establishment of several marine reserves, the development of a commercial and recreational fisheries licensing system, as well as the introduction of controls on certain types of some fishing equipment. These steps were further enhanced through seasonal fishing bans and bans during breeding seasons, as well as stipulating minimum sizes for the catches of several key commercial species. Furthermore, EAD banned Gargoor fishing techniques as well as the use of encircling nets.

These initiatives were part of the Sustainable Fisheries Programme which was launched in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment MOCCAE. The programme was devised to ensure fisheries are sustainable and was launched in 2016.

Ahmed Al Hashmi, Acting Executive Director of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity at EAD said: “We are pleased to share our story at Expo 2020 of how we were able to help improve fish stocks in Abu Dhabi’s waters. This success was possible after working rigorously on a series of projects, and by developing impactful policies with a positive approach – all of which were highlighted in our documentary. We have been steadfast in ensuring that we never lost sight of our end goal – the replenishment of our fish stocks, and we are grateful for the support of several fishermen who were extremely insightful and helped us achieve our objective. At the Expo 2020 viewing, they also got the opportunity to share their stories and experiences with the audience. Their knowledge has been extremely beneficial and they have been a really important facet of our success, which the documentary discusses in detail.”

‘Our Sea…Our Future’ is dedicated to the fisheries sector, a significant contributor to Abu Dhabi’s culture and heritage. The film also showcases the burden on Abu Dhabi’s fisheries and the initiatives undertaken by EAD to contain the impacts of overfishing on the marine environment, with the goal of regenerating and nurturing fish stocks.

Fishermen play a core and vital role in conserving marine life and over the years have been integral players in supporting scientific research with their traditional knowledge. They also contribute to the process of compliance with resolutions and procedures designed to curb the decline of fish stock.