Comprised of an above water disc connected to an underwater disc by five legs, a vertical shaft, lift and stairway, the Water Discus hotel “willl allow guests to admire the depths of the ocean while making the most of the warm climate,” according to Deep Ocean Technology, the project’s designer.

This new development follows on the heels of the Hydropolis project that was sunk in 2009 when a financial crisis caused an exodus of expatriates and their investment dollars. But now it seems that Dubai is beginning to recover and has learned absolutely nothing about the impact of too much intervention on the Gulf’s fragile ecosystem. Step in for more renders of this crazy underwater hotel and let us know, should it be built?

“If any changes in environmental or economic conditions occur, the Water Discus modules can be transferred to a different place,” according to Deep Ocean Technology. “This offers a unique opportunity to live underwater on a permanent basis with unlimited options to change locations. The mobility makes changes in interior design of a hotel much easier, as any disc can be detached and replaced with a new one,” they add.

DOT claims that Water Disqus hotels can be constructed anywhere in the world and that they will be custom designed in accordance with the local environment – including the shape of the coastal line and depth of water around the coral reef. They make no claims, as far as we can tell, to have consulted marine specialists about the impact such a development would have on various coral reefs or the creatures that call then home.

“A single Water Discus is an independent structure with a usable area of approximately 1000 m2 fully equipped to ensure a high level of safety and comfort. It can serve as an individual module – a component of a bigger complex,” writes DOT. These can then be expanded to create larger complexes, which – as far as we are concerned – would be absolutely disastrous.

And what about natural disasters, you might ask? DOT seems to have taken into consideration the possibility that these hotels might be  developed in areas prone to tsunamis and insist that they will be completely safe in such an event. “The structure sits up on five sturdy legs fixed to the seabed, and the upper disc is suspended above the water surface. These two technical solutions will ensure that Water Discus remains safe even in the event of a fairly high tsunami, which can normally flood the nearest coastal areas.”

And what about claustrophobia? For some people, being stuck in an underwater space might be as uncomfortable as crawling through a cave, but DOT suggests that the view of the sky prevents this from happening. Although they don’t seem to have conducted any environmental impact assessments, they have gone through rigorous safety evaluations.

“The design, construction and technical condition of the complex are under permanent supervision of an international classification organisation with experience in the field of building and operation of boats, ships, offshore structures and professional diving systems,” according to the company.” The hotel meets safety standards of local and international organizations and promises a deluxe sensory experience like no other.

For the sake of our already over-stressed marine systems, we hope like hey that this project never sees the light of day.

Images courtesy Deep Ocean Technology

More on Dubai’s Underwater Madness:

Hydropolis Underwater Hotel in Dubai Still Sunk

Underwater Hotel Plans Revived in Dubai

The post Dubai’s Underwater Hotel by Deep Ocean Technology (PICS) appeared first on Green Prophet.

If shark conservation isn’t your thing, and you are one of the people creating a worldwide demand for shark fin soup, think about this next time you slurp: filmmaker and activist Jonathan Ali Khan is presenting a new TV documentary in the United Arab Emirates on the health risks of eating shark meat, the Gulf News reports.

Collecting footage for the NGO Shark Quest Arabia, we featured Jonathan Ali Khan here. His new show will document in detail how sharks, high on the food chain in the marine ecosystem, have dangerously high levels of mercury. This metal is linked to brain damage and infertility.

Working on sampling for mercury levels in the Gulf “You need testing from fishing and landing sites, biopsy samples. You need a small tissue or blood specimen. But some fishermen don’t take too kindly to that — they’re getting a bit more defensive,” Ali Khan said.

Our own reporter Tafline went undercover and took pictures of sharks in a fish market in Dubai, where they are sold openly even though it is not lawful to do so. Even mainstream grocery stores throughout the Gulf country stock sharks that have not yet had a chance to mature.

Mercury flows to the ocean via industrial processes and the metal is stored in the fat of the sharks over time. We hope that Ali Khan’s documentary will scare people away from eating shark meat and shark fins.

In the Middle East sharks are poached illegally for their fins and meat. Although shark fins are nothing more than rubber cartilage, I guess people like eating shark because it makes them feel omnipotent.

We recently reported that Red Sea sharks face extinction because no one in Egypt is monitoring illegal poaching, and fishermen are culling the animals en masse to satisfy a steady demand for shark fin soup. Pretty soon there may be no more sharks left thanks to this idiotic fetish.

:: Gulf News

More on the threats to Sharks in the Middle East:

How Sharks Keep Us Breathing: An Interview With Filmmaker Jonathan Ali Khan

Dubai Marine Life at Risk After Devastating Shark Catch

Egypt’s Red Sea Sharks Face Extinction

The post Shark Fin Soup Can Give You Brain Damage appeared first on Green Prophet.

Egypt’s Red Sea Governor Mahmoud Assem has established a safe-zone designed to protect the vulnerable Indo-pacific dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). The move, which bans any kind of vessel from entering the Fanous Reef, has been lauded by conservation groups such as the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Agency (HEPCA) – one of the few organizations committed to protecting the region’s marine life. HEPCA recognizes Egypt’s first dolphin sanctuary as a ” milestone achievement” and published a handy guide for divers and swimmers still permitted in the safe zone that describes best practices to maintain in the presence of dolphins. 

Bikya Masr reports that the tourism industry in Hurghada has had a deleterious effect on the region’s wildlife.

Unbridled development and poor environmental oversight have led to a serious degradation of the local ecosystem, and tourists eager to see dolphins in their natural environment inevitably put undue stress on them.

Tourism accounts for a large portion of Egypt’s gross domestic product, but diving and other activities are only sustainable in the long term if the local ecosystem is kept intact.

By cordoning off an area at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, where dolphins routinely rest and and socialize, the Red Sea governorate is sending a very clear message that it is committed to caring for its marine life.

Although boats are not permitted to enter the safe zone, divers and swimmers still can, so HEPCA has provided the following behavioral tips that will ensure harmony between human visitors and custacean residents.

• Feeding dolphins is strictly forbidden (it is detrimental to their health and behavior)
• Do not throw any objects in the water
• Reduce noises such as shouting or whistling (dolphins rely almost completely on sense of hearing)
• Swim gently and quietly avoiding movement with arms and splashes
• Swim to intercept the dolphin route and then freeze; let the animals approach and decide if and how to interact
• Avoid noises such as shouting, whistling, using rattles and horns
• Do not chase the dolphins (it could only increase their speed)
• If snorkeler, do not free dive when dolphins dive
• If diver, do not follow the dolphins when they surface
• Touching the dolphins is strictly forbidden (and could lead to skin infections for both)
• Always use fins, masks and snorkels

The post Egypt Establishes Country’s First Dolphin Sanctuary appeared first on Green Prophet.

Environmentalists raise concerns after another vessel is abandoned in the Gulf of Aqaba 

Around two weeks ago, a ferry carrying 1,230 passengers caught fire in the Gulf of Aqaba en route to the Egyptian port of Nuweibeh. Despite three days of work to put out the fire, the ship named ‘Pella’ began to take on water due to the damage and eventually sank in the Aqaba’s waters five days later. One passenger died and 27 others were injured. Whilst an investigation is under way to find out the cause of the fire, Jordanian environmentalists have raised concerns that the Gulf of Aqaba will turn into junkyard without more stringent regulations to stop vessels being sunk there.

Lax Regulations Encouraging Dumping

Speaking to the Jordan Times, Faisal Abu Sondos who is project manager at the Royal Marine Conservation Society said, “Authorities must be aware that the Gulf of Aqaba is turning into a junkyard… it is apparent that ship owners are finding it easy to abandon and sink their vessels in Aqaba.”

He explained that lax laws regulating Jordan’s only seaport meant that some ship owners were finding it easy to abandon and sink their vessels. To protect marine life and also ensure that sea navigation in the Gulf of Aqaba is safe, he called for stricter laws to be formulated and carried through. The marine protection society also suggested that a ban on the sinking of ships in the Gulf of Aqaba be implemented.

‘Environment Not A Priority’

Sunken ships can be harmful to marine life as they carry toxic materials (oil and fuel) as well materials that may release toxins when they degrade and disintegrate. As the Gulf of Aqaba is narrow, sunken ships may also pose a navigation hazard. Fadi Sharaiha, executive director of the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan criticized the government for not towing the vessel to the shore before it sank.

Whilst rescue boats were quick to the scene to ensure no passengers were harmed it seems that there wasn’t the same level of concern for protecting the environment. As Sharaiha told the Jordan Times, “What happened is too much. The government should have acted fast in moving the ship the same way it responded to the emergency, but I guess the environment is not a priority.”

: Jordan Times and Jordan Times

:: Image via Alex Polezhaev (Sashapo)/Flickr.

For more on marine issues in the region see:

Loss of Marine Life Could Lead To Ecosystem Collapse

Hope Amidst Dubai’s Marine Destruction

A Day In The Life Of A Marine Scientists- Interview With Rima Jabado

The post Jordan’s Aqaba Turning Into Naval Dumping Ground appeared first on Green Prophet.

Swapping fashion design for fish and wildlife, the film-maker Jonathan Ali Khan has been working on marine conservation in the United Arab Emirates for the past 25 years. His series ‘Arabia’s Cycle of Life’ reached 25 million viewers in the Middle East North Africa region and his latest project ‘Sharkquest Arabia’ is a 2-film TV documentary which uses natural history to communicate the issues facing sharks throughout Arabia’s waters. Green Prophet caught up with Jonathan Ali Khan to talk about the important role sharks play in keeping humans alive, what fisherman can do to protect sharks, the Japanese and Chinese lobby, and how TV and film may be the best way to reach a wide audiences about wildlife conservation.

Green Prophet: Why are sharks important for preserving ecosystems and why should we be working for their conservation?

JAK: The role of sharks is to manage the food chain. It’s no mistake that these animals possess a formidable range of senses and qualities that have positioned them at the top of the aquatic food chain. As the apex predator, the role they play in the fundamental law of natural selection is in fact linked to the overall health of the seas of our planet. With 92% of our living biosphere being aquatic, almost 80% of our planet’s air is generated by the algae and microscopic phytoplankton that are found in the sea. Many thousands of fish species and other marine organisms feed on phytoplankton and algae. Sharks on the other hand prey on the fish that feed on plankton; right up through to the top of the food chain. So if we remove the sharks, as we are systematically doing at an unsustainable rate of over 70 million sharks a year, then it leaves the plankton feeders free of predation and free to gobble up the main source of our planet’s main oxygen supply! Therefore, it is in our interest to maintain a healthy source of oxygen and air, if we want to keep on breathing!

Some seas, such as around Japan, are already struggling with harmful algae blooms, forming red tides and anaerobic conditions that are causing explosions of super-jellyfish populations that are creating havoc with marine diversity, dominating and taking over what were once rich fishing grounds. Those same areas were once managed by a wide range of shark species that controlled the ecosystem effectively by feeding largely on the fish that preyed on the plankton feeders. Ever since those sharks were fished out from around the coast of Japan, the resulting imbalance has proven catastrophic. To a lesser degree, we have already seen similar results in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf with red tides and toxic algae blooms. Add to that the other man-induced impacts of pollution, dredging and detrimental activities, including over-fishing in general; we are bringing about our own downfall. So, taking into account that we need to keep breathing, we really shouldn’t allow sharks to be removed from performing their important role.

Green Prophet: Can you tell us a little about the work you do as project leader of Shark Quest Arabia?

Sharkquest Arabia is a 2-film TV documentary and awareness project using natural history as a way to communicate the issues facing sharks throughout Arabia’s waters. I chose sharks as the subject because I feel that what is happening to sharks around the world is the most shameful and biggest commercial sellout that man has ever perpetuated against the natural world. The consequences of the global shark fisheries for the fin trade is alarming at so many levels – and in my opinion is one of the biggest threats to our marine environment. I believe the shark story reflects the worst of mankind’s capacity and highlights the disconnection people now have from the natural world around us – if people are capable of allowing this genocide to continue to the point of extinction, then it is clear we are failing to communicate the right message.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7Qbq7lQmAk[/youtube]

It took nature over 400 million years of evolution and natural selection to create what is the perfect apex marine predator, positioning it at the top of the food chain to manage the resources of life on the reef and open oceans. It has taken man less than a hundred years to reduce their numbers to 20% of their population in most of our planet’s seas. I find that totally unacceptable and when I found out what role this region plays, I knew I had to try to open up the story for people in this region to start tackling the issues.

For me natural history television and films are the best ways to reach a wide audience with educational and factual content about wildlife conservation – and may well be one of the best chances that sharks have. My previous series “Arabia’s Cycle of Life” reached 25 million viewers in the MENA region and was later broadcast on Animal Planet Asia reaching another massive audience. However, natural history is still not widely supported by this region’s TV industry as it is not deemed commercially profitable with the media sales and advertising executives that sell sponsorship and airtime on regional channels. It’s sad to say that we really struggle to find support financially for this genre of programming as these executives in effect control what goes on air. I’ve actually been told there is no place for natural history on Arabic TV! That may seem ridiculous, but sadly it is currently still the case!

So, much of my time is spent on trying to raise sponsorship to find the last US$100,000 that we need to complete the 2 films and I am now reduced to only filming piecemeal as and when we have enough money to put together an expedition. What started off as a ‘2 year in the making project’, may take us 3 years to complete due to budgetary restrictions.

Green Prophet: You moved to the UAE around 25 years ago to work on marine conservation. What changes have you witnessed in terms of fisherman’s practices in relation to sharks and their attitudes towards sharks?

I’m no scientist. But as a natural history filmmaker I’m totally obsessed with the science and wonders of the natural world around us. Especially in this region that has been my home for 25 years. In that time, I have dived and explored all the seas of the Arabian Peninsula and witnessed many changes. I didn’t always have these interests. I started off my working life as a fashion designer having studied at the London School of fashion and worked in Italy for 3 years designing ladies lingerie and menswear. I was totally oblivious of the pressing concerns of the world, until one day I had a personal awakening that transformed me into a photo-journalist covering war and famine in Africa, Afghanistan and the Middle East. But fortunately I was a lousy photojournalist as I couldn’t remain impartial and I didn’t have the emotional detachment to continue down that road; alarmed as I was by the atrocity of what human’s perpetuate against each other! It’s no mistake that that experience led me to prefer the company of fish and wildlife.

All the same, I have somehow come full circle and even as a natural history filmmaker, I am still inescapably being forced to deal with the dark side of the human condition! Now I get to see the atrocities we perpetuate against our natural resources.

Since starting this project, I have to say that I have become more understanding towards the predicament of shark fishermen in this region. For the most part, the overall consensus of Omani fishermen for example, is that sharks are only an opportunistic catch and more than often not the main target. However, the scale of that opportunity is huge! So even if their intent was to catch tuna (which is generally more profitable for them on a good day), the conditions here allow them to catch staggering numbers of sharks. But more recently, fishermen are increasingly aware that numbers are down as they are catching less sharks than 10 or 20 years ago. But despite that, they are still very happy to land sharks as the unit value of a single shark increases all the time. So a shark that might have earnt them Dhs.2000 a couple of years ago, can now earn them between Dhs.5000 to Dhs.10,000, depending on the species and size. Try to tell a fisherman not to land a big hammerhead with rates like those!

But on the other hand, we have seen efforts to self-impose a 6 month ban on landing sharks by fishermen in a village in the Musandam in an attempt to give sharks a chance to re-populate an area. Although the intention is good, the effectiveness is totally lost– as sharks are slow to reproduce and gestate, not like other fishes that spawn billions of larvae repeatedly throughout the year. Sharks on the other hand may only have between 20 to 50 pups depending on the species and some will only reproduce once every two years. But equally important – if sharks become extinct in a specific area, there is little if any recruitment at all in sharks from other areas and that fished out area may remain so forever.

All the same, I am encouraged that it might be possible to work with these fishermen to create a better management of their resources, especially since they have been trying to do so themselves as they seem to understand what is happening. But like anywhere, it is a matter of enforcement that weakens the process. If the village is not doing well financially due to poor catches of other species, they will break their own self-imposed ban in order to bring in the money. The moment one starts, the others follow suit.

Green Prophet: When people think of shark fishing or shark fining, they probably don’t make the connection to the Arab world, however, the region is increasingly involved in the hunting of sharks. Can you tell us a little about the growing threat to sharks in the Middle East?

Actually the threat to sharks in this region has been a threat for ages. But since the demand from China has been growing at a rate of 5% annually over the last 10 years, the situation has become critical. The fin trade has been active here for over 20 years but was simply overshadowed below a strata of amazing regional growth and development that no one realized it was as significant as it was. Certainly no one realized it was a serious threat to the marine environment as much of the science that has started to educate the world is relatively recent. Traffic International first tried to draw attention to the UAE’s role back in ’89 as their research revealed that Sharjah was at that time the 6th biggest exporter of fins to Hong Kong. Since then, the trade has shifted to Dubai in line with the efficiency of the transport system as a distribution hub. In talking to just one shark fin trader in Dubai, I have been told how they used to ship 7 containers of shark fins to Hong Kong every month 20 years ago! The volume of shark fin involved was staggering. Now it’s barely 400 kilos a month as far as he is concerned. He predicts the end of the shark fin trade in the UAE in 5 years time.

The UAE is not a significant shark fishing nation in itself. But it is still the main regional shark fin trade hub, collectively re-distributing fins from throughout the whole region, including Somalia, Eritrea, Yemen and Iran along with all the other GCC states. According to FAO [Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations], it is supplying around 8% of the fins reaching Hong Kong alone. These stats are more than likely very conservative and the number in fact a lot higher. Seeing as there are no trade controls, its hard to know.

As more and more awareness about the plight of sharks spreads across the world and even here through conservation authorities and decision makers, we believe that the next CITES conference [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species] will be different. Last year, CITES held their international meeting in Doha. For the first time ever, the international community was prepared with proposals to add 8 shark species to the CITES Appendix II list. Amongst those species proposed, 5 occur here in the seas of Arabia and are actually a big component of the shark landings and fin trade from our waters. Sadly the only species that made it through is the porbeagle shark (which doesn’t occur here).

I consider this a lost opportunity for the region. Sharkquest Arabia presented our promo and spoke to Arab delegates at a special screening organized by IFAW [International Fund for Animal Welfare] – all the same, the Japanese and Chinese lobbies were too persuasive and the tuna issues stole the moment. Despite the negative outcome, what has since transpired is an opportunity to enter into dialogue with conservation authorities and ministries. They know they need to address this issue and we all need to encourage them to do so. I firmly believe that it might be possible to ban the fin trade in the UAE with the right arguments

Green Prophet: What one thing needs to change- either right away or in the next couple of years- if we want to continue to see sharks in Arabian waters?

Awareness! Normally awareness happens at the end of a conservation project based on the outcomes and deliverables of years of research, etc. In this case, we need to shift the onus of awareness to the front end and in doing so, highlight the need for more scientific research (upon which to base the right management decisions) and in order to target decision makers with a view to making them realize there is actually more than enough information and motivation to stop the fin trade or at least to educate the fishermen as to how they can better manage their resources. It all comes down to exposing honest and care driven information delivered in the right way.

(Top image of Hammerheads in the Red Sea by Dan Beecham.)

For more on Sharks in the Middle East see:
Working with Local Fisherman to Tackle Shark Finning
UAE Divers Organisation says: “Stop Buying Sharks and Shark Fin Soup”
Despite Ban, UAE remains Market Hub for Shark Fins

The post How Sharks Keep Us Breathing: An Interview with Filmmaker Jonathan Ali Khan appeared first on Green Prophet.

In 2008, shark finning in the United Arab Emirates was banned. For many environmentalists and conservationists this was a time to rejoice and a moment of hope when it seemed the constant threat to sharks in the region may have eased. Over the years, however, it has become apparent that the change in law has done little to alter the situation on the ground.

Shark fins still fill fish markets in Dubai and the country remains an important market hub for the lucrative delicacy. This got me thinking- if the change in law has done nothing to protect sharks what can be done? I got in touch with two important organisations based in the country who are actively tackling shark finning, to talk about their views and what they think is needed to end shark finning once and for all.

Green Prophet spoke to the Emirate Diving Association, a non-governmental organisation setup in 1995 which works within the diving sector and marine conservation and has been encouraging its members to support the ban on shark finning. We caught up with Ibrahim Al Zu-bi, the driving force behind the organisation which is based in Dubai to find out more.

Aburawa: Can you tell us a little about the work that the Emirate Diving Association organisation does to end shark finning?

Ibrahim Al Zu’bi: EDA is a non-profit voluntary federal organization and is accredited by UNEP as an International Environmental Organization. We oversee all the locally based dive centres with the legal documents to operate within the UAE.

Through our strong membership base, we try to raise awareness about the practice of shark finning and use our members as tools to spread awareness. We also support all shark conservation initiatives and co-organize shark tagging expeditions to help research students know more about them.

Why is the EDA against shark finning and the need to protect sharks?

Sharks like any other fish are being over fished in general, but the fact that sharks are being over fished for their fins only makes it worse. The luxury of shark fins has put a lot of pressure on sharks, which we don’t want to encourage.Shark finning is not common here as people eat sharks here like other fish and deal with it as another whole fish.

Why do you think that the shark finning ban in 2008 the UAE has not worked?

Like any other environmental law, you need to be firm in implementation and monitoring. Also, we need ordinary people to stop buying sharks and shark fin soup- ask restaurant managers to take it off the menu and tell them that you won’t come back if they don’t.

The post UAE divers: Stop buying shark fin soup appeared first on Green Prophet.

Green Prophet delves into the bloody and murky business of shark fishing and fining in the United Arab Emirates

Following the recent shocking incident where a pregnant hammerhead female shark and its forty-five pups were found dead at a fish market in Dubai, we decided to delve a little deeper into the murky business of shark fishing (also shark bycatch fishing) and finning in the United Arab Emirates.

Although shark fining was completely unheard of in the region at one point – as it’s not part of Arabian cuisine- the practice is gaining momentum and shark fishing is definitely on the rise.

UAE Is Market Hub for Shark Fins

A week ago, shark fin soup served at a Dubai function did court controversy but the fact remains that shark fin soup is ‘not uncommon in Dubai’. According to a news report on the issue by UAE 7 Days (link not working in 2022), the UAE still plays its part in the controversial trade and is the market hub for what is still seen as a high-status delicacy.

Although shark fining was banned in the United Arab Emirates in 2008, sharks fins are openly sold in the fish markets of Dubai. It is estimated that around 70 million sharks are killed for their fins each year and the UAE provides nearly 10 percent of this world total supply of shark fins.

Shark Dissection Carried Out In Name of Nature

The complete disregard for the shark population was illustrated by another incident around a month ago in Abu Dhabi where a group of teenagers dissected two sharks- all in the name of learning about the environment.

Apparently, the activity was organised by a diving and education charity Tawasul which aims to teach children about marine biodiversity.  Even more shocking is the fact that the dissection was supervised by Rima Jabado who, according to the UAE National, “has been working for more than a year to determine how much local fishing is contributing to the rapid decline of sharks, which are also disappearing globally.”

Fining and Death of Pups Major Threat

The biggest threat to the shark population comes from hunting shark pups, catching pregnant females and fining. Ibrahim Al Zu’bi from the Emirate Diving Association told UAE 7 Days that continued shark fining and indiscriminate fishing could spell disaster for the ecosystem.

“If you over-fish anything, you will eventually see a negative impact on the marine system,” Al Zu’bi explained.

Image via Julia Spaet- KAUST PhD student researching shark populations in the Red Sea.

For more on sharks in the MidEast see:

Dubai Marine Life At Risk After Devastating Shark Catch

Kuwaiti Sharks, Ecosystems and Exxon

25 Shark Species In Persian Gulf Need Urgent Protection

Dolphins and sharks are unsustainable bycatch in fishing industry 

The post Despite Ban, UAE remains market hub for shark fins and their soup appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Arabian Gulf marine ecosystem took a devastating hit this week after a pregnant great hammerhead shark was landed and forty-five pups gutted out of it in a Dubai fish market. Despite a shark fishing ban from January to April, endangered shark species are being put at risk by fishers who continue to hunt them down in the United Arab Emirates. The horrific find was recorded by shark researchers monitoring the decline of the species in the region and Thomas Vignaud, working with the Shark Quest project, along with Julia Spaet discovered the forty-five dead pups after an inspection of the female hammerhead.

Shark fishing has skyrocketed in the UAE in recent years and according to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA), the gulf state is one of the main Middle East exporters of shark fins to Hong Kong.

Speaking to Gulf News, Jonathon Ali Khan who is an expedition leader for sharks in the region and director of Shark Quest Arabia explained that the importance of the region for the survival of certain shark species needed to be better highlighted so that birthing sharks are protected. “When a slow-reproducing shark is found at the market with 45 pups something needs to be done for the welfare of the species,” he added.

Great hammerhead sharks are an endangered species and the forty-five pups that were found were almost ready to be born. “If even half of these shark pups had survived, it might have made a significant contribution to the survival of this species at least in this region,” Khan told the Gulf News.

It is believed that the shark may have been caught in the waters of Oman and brought to the UAE for sale to make a better profit although it is impossible to tell for sure. In Oman, shark fining at sea is banned and in the UAE shark fining and shark hunting between January to April was banned in 2008. Even so FOA figures show that from 1998 to 2000, around 400-500 tonnes of shark fins were exported from the UAE annually. Latest findings also reveal the growing popularity of shark-hunting as they indicate that the shark catch in the UAE shot up in 2003 to 3,060 tonnes a year.

These statistics are particularly worrying as sharks are extremely sensitive to fishing at they mature quite late and produce few offspring. As such, the death of forty-five great hammerhead pups is a serious blow to their future existence in the Arabia Gulf.

Photo courtesy of Julia Spaet- KAUST PhD student researching shark populations in the Red Sea.

For more on Sharks and the Middle East see:

Kuwaiti Sharks, Ecosystems and Exxon

Shark Attacks Up 25% Worldwide

25 Shark Species In Persian Gulf Need Urgent Protection

The post Dubai Marine Life At Risk After Devastating Shark Catch appeared first on Green Prophet.

Coral reefs are more than just a pretty place for divers to pass their time. They are absolutely essential to the proper functioning of international marine ecosystems, and to the communities who rely on fishing and other marine activities for their living. Development, agricultural runoff, overfishing, and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are just a few of the factors that have threatened coral reefs to such an extent that US government and non-government organizations have issued a very stern warning: if we don’t fix our behavior, we could lose all of our reefs as early as 2050.

Up 15% since 1998, the report “Reefs at Risk” found that 75% of the world’s coral reefs are currently threatened.

Jane Lubchenco with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that land, coastal and water pressures are converging to create a perfect storm of threats, which have gone from worrisome to dire.

In addition to attracting tourism, coral reefs provide an essential haven to fish and otherwise preserve marine biodiversity. More than 500 million people worldwide depend on them for their food and livelihood.

By 2030, 90% of the world’s reefs could be completely destroyed. Reefs provide $30 billion each year in benefits, benefits that we will lose entirely by 2050 if we don’t take measures to combat the factors contributing to their decline.

Both carbon dioxide emissions that alter the chemical composition of oceans and warmer temperatures are detrimental to coral growth. Other pressures include over-fishing, destructive fishing methods,  agricultural run-off, unsustainable development, ships that drag anchors and chains across the reefs, and  tourism.

:: Khaleej Times

More on coral reefs throughout the Middle East:

Israeli Researchers Find Coral Reefs Deep In The Mediterranean

Rebuilding Abu Dhabi’s Coral Reefs One Disc At A Time

EU Gives $4 Million To Med and Red Sea Coral Reef Studies

image via Margaret Wertheim

The post Worldwide Coral Reefs Are In “Dire Threat” appeared first on Green Prophet.

Maurice once speculated whether the Mediterranean has a plastic waste situation comparable to that of the Pacific, an issue particularly sensitive to our favorite eco-hunk David de Rothschild. His hunch – informed by empirical evidence along the shoreline – was painfully accurate. Because according to Nature Middle East, plastic waste is a big killer in the Mediterranean. An awareness and research campaign that started to collect water samples along the sea’s northern coast has found that at least 100,000 marine mammals, turtles and birds are killed every year.

Called Mediterranean EnDanger (MED), the campaign will evaluate first the northern countries and then move towards the southern Mediterranean countries to determine the extent of the sea’s plastic problem.

Already the MED team has discovered off the coasts of France, Italy, and Spain at least 250 billion microscopic pieces of plastic that are invisible to the human eye.

According to Nature Middle East, plankton eat these microscopic pieces, and creatures further up the food chain then feed on them until the accumulation of plastic in their bodies becomes unsafe. How this impacts on humans has yet to be established, but it is fair to say that a plastic food chain is not healthy.

Unfortunately, the microplastic wastes are difficult to manage because they are insidiously small.

“There is really nothing we can do to eliminate this danger. If we vapourize plastic waste it will still end up inside planktons,” the expedition leader and marine biologist Bruno Dumontet told the journal.

“That is why we need to put an end to this pollution through awareness campaigns and through stricter rules.”

The mission will move towards Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Malta later this year.

“In 2013 we’ll conclude by visiting the south-eastern regions like Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. Only then will we have a complete analysis of all the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and be able put together a strong and detailed report about the current situation,” said Mr. Dumontet.

Mustapha Belhadid, a marine biologist at the Institute of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management in Algeria expects that the southern Mediterranean is less polluted than the north.

“We’ve analyzed the entire Algerian coast and found pollution was less than we expected. We’re far from satisfied with the current status quo. I think the study from MED is extremely important especially since it has an awareness angle.”

:: Nature Middle East

More on the Mediterranean Sea:

Is The Mediterranean Harboring a Giant Plastic Patch?
Mediterranean Countries Shut Down Coral Protection
Lebanon’s Mediterranean Apocalypse: Scuba Diving In Waters Devoid Of Life

image via Kevin Krejci

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