Our News

BUSTED!

We are very pleased to announce that thanks to the collaborative efforts of so many members of the Red Sea community, four shark finning boats have been stopped and more than sixty Yemeni fishermen are currently in custody! On Sunday night two safari boats: Desmondo and Golden Dolphin 3, managed to corner the boats at Zabargad Island until the official authorities arrived to arrest them. This valiant, collaborative effort from members of the community is the key to the protection of our environment and the sustainability of our natural resources. On Monday, HEPCA’s own RV Red Sea Defender spotted two more Yemeni shark finning vessels 56km offshore of Hamata; within two hours official authorities had apprehended them. The process of halting these violators was based on the efforts of many, including: a large number of safari boats that first spotted them, reported them and tracked them, boats that ceased their lines and released over a dozen hooked sharks, local boats that collaborated with the authorities to provide their exact locations and the government authorities that actually stopped the boats and arrested ten fishermen; as well as all those who publicized the issue and provided logistic and moral support. We would like to thank everyone, who took part in this collaborative endeavor to protect the Red Sea environment. This is the perfect example of how community based management and protection works; as a local population we have proven how working together can potentially save our environment from destruction. We would especially like to highlight the efforts of two safari boats: Eldabaran and Royal Evolution, who pulled over eleven kilometers of hooked lines, that potentially would have killed dozens of sharks. Their brave work uncovered that the fishing vessels were utilizing dolphin and juvenile shark meat as bait! Shark de-finning and fishing are criminal acts as they potentially can cause drastic changes to the environment, as apex predators, sharks play a key role in regulating populations and maintaining population structure. It is also economically idiotic; a shark fin sells for about EGP200 while the estimated annual income from the tourism industry, of a single shark at Brothers Islands, is EGP 1,250,000 per year. Shark fishing and de-finning are legal offences, prohibited and punishable by law, in accordance to regulations set by the Governor of the Red Sea and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in 2006. These regulations were put in place after a long campaign fueled by the Red Sea community’s frustration about the depletion of such a valuable natural resource. Sadly they have now attracted those, who wish to exploit our recovering shark populations; but together as a community we have delivered a very strong message to violators. Our message is clear: We will not allow the destructive exploitation of our natural resources and we shall fight for the protection of the Red Sea.