UAE: Shark fishing, sale banned from March 1

The ban will be on till June 30. A ministerial resolution allows fishermen to fish sharks only from July 1 until the last day of February. There is a permanent ban on non-registered fishermen from fishing sharks.

Halima Al Jasmi, Head of the Fisheries Section at MOCCAE, said: “The seasonal ban on shark fishing and trade aligns with the ministry’s strategic goal of preserving ecosystems and marine life ... It helps sustain the population of the species by giving them time to reproduce.”

The ban is an "effective tool for alleviating the pressure on sharks due to overfishing and habitat degradation".

"In addition to the seasonal ban, (the resolution) imposes a permanent ban on fishing shark and ray species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Federal Law No. 23 of 1999 concerning the exploitation, protection, and development of living aquatic resources in the UAE and its amendments."

It also permanently prohibits the import and re-export of shark fins – fresh, frozen, dried, salted, smoked, canned, or in any other form – excluding thoe that are imported for scientific purposes.