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Introduction

Today the coastal zones are the most affected marine areas in the world. Year after year, natural habitat of marine life is being destroyed for the construction of harbours, industrial installations, recreational centres, expansion of settlements and cities etc. Moreover, pollution from dumping of waste, oil exploration, exploitation and transportation are all matters of concern as regard to the development of marine resources. The growing exploitation of the coast is a reflection of population increase, accelerating urbanization and man's race for modernization for greater affluence. Unfortunately most of the land - based contaminants released to the near-shore region normally do not go beyond the limits of the continental shelf area in poorly flushed areas and further aggravate the problems in this sensitive zone.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has an extensive coastline of about 700 Km facing the Arabian Gulf on the west and the Gulf of Oman on the east coast. The country is gifted with many natural lagoons and creeks, most of them girdled with mangrove swamps providing potential grounds for fisheries resources. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) has an herculean task of maintaining a healthy and sustainable fisheries and keeping the marine environment free from all sorts of pollution. MAF has made significant progress in its efforts to protect the marine resources and ecology to some extent.

The country has attained self sufficiency in fresh fish through scientific planning and careful management. Efforts are being continued by MAF to protect the fish and fisheries and also the coastal and marine environment of UAE. Some of these activities are discussed in brief in the present report. However, the government alone can not make such ventures a success, the co-operation from fishermen, public, industrial agencies in both government and private sectors all contribute to what happens in the coastal and marine environment.

Activities To Protect And Develop The Coastal Fisheries

Fishing is a traditional industry which was the main source of food and income before the discovery of oil in the UAE. Although with the discovery of oil, there was a surge in the economy of the nation due to industrial development the Government of UAE has been taking keen interest in protecting the fisheries in its territorial waters. Establishment of Marine Resources Research Centre (MRRC) in 1984 paved the way for scientific studies leading to the development of fisheries in a variety of ways. During the initial years of its inception, MRRC conducted hy dr ographic surveys to collect information on the basic oceanographic parameters along the near shore waters of UAE, realizing its significance to marine resources.

Local fishermen are given lot of incentives by the MAF by way of providing subsidized marine engines and fishing gears, free service of engines at the various marine workshops established at almost every fishing village and so on. Fishermen's Co-operative Societies are formed in various Emirates to look into their grievances, conduct training programmes and also create an awareness among the fishermen and the public community about the newly introduced Fisheries Laws. Use of all types of nylon nets, Set nets ( Al Te dress ), Drift Nets ( Al Hayyal ) and trawl nets are forbidden in the UAE waters.

Also restrictions were imposed on mesh sizes of fishing gears, mesh opening should be larger than 1.5 inches for nets and more than 2 inches for fish traps. A closed season is declared for fishing in stipulated areas which synchronizes with the natural spawning period of the popular fish species. Certain marine areas in the coastal zone are demarcated as "protected" areas where no fishing is permitted. Catching endangered species such as turtle, dolphin, dugong etc is punishable as per the law of the country. All these measures are taken by MAF to maintain a healthy, natural ecological condition, prevent catching the spawners of common fish species, protect the spawning and nursing grounds and restrict the over exploitation.

Activities To Protect The Marine Environment From Pollution

United Arab Emirates is an oil producing country and her economy is based mainly on this commodity. Transportation of oil from the Arabian Gulf area sometimes causes tanker accidents resulting in oil spillage affecting the coastal zone. In case of an oil spill, MAF take initiatives to clean up the affected beaches and mangrove areas along with certain voluntary organizations in the country. Special instructions are given to fishermen and the public not to throw plastic and other non-degradable wastes in the sea or on the beach. Dumping of oil, detergents, chemicals in and around the marine environment is against the law and punishable. Fishermen are advised not to discard old, unused or damaged nets and other fishing gears, cans etc in the sea which would pose unprecedented threats for marine life.

Steps Taken To Create A Healthy Ecological Environment For Marine Life In The Coastal Zone

Owing to the spectacular advances of industrial revolution, the natural resources in the coastal and marine environment started coming under pressure. Untreated effluents reaching the near-shore waters contain many chemicals, heavy metals and a host of other contaminants. The assimilation capacities of the natural resources are already stretched beyond their limits. However, the Government of UAE is taking lot of precautionary measures to curb unscrupulous dumping of industrial waste into the coastal waters. Also licenses are issued to new firms after fulfilling the basic requirements of waste-treatment facilities.

Coral reef areas and certain shelf regions are periodically monitored for any pollution and cleaned up by the divers. A kind of star fish known as "Crown of Thorns" was found causing enormous damage to the coral reef beds along the east coast of the United Arab Emirates and these are physically caught and destroyed. Plastic, oil and oil products, tins, discarded nets and fish traps etc which damage the ecological conditions are eliminated through this operation.

Since mangrove areas are considered to be highly potential regions as far as fisheries concerned, Marine Resources Research Centre (MRRC) has been engaged in planting mangrove seedlings on beaches where there exist no or scarce mangrove growth. A nursery for mangrove is already set up at MRRC in Umm Al Qaiwain from where seedlings are distributed to many places inside and outside the country. Destroying mangrove areas invite prosecution according to the law.

Activities To Enhance The Marine Resources In The Coastal Environment

Since many years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has been conducting fish landing surveys from various landing places along the UAE coast. Certain species enjoy great demand in the market and there is an indication of reduction of stock. As per the policy of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the fingerlings of fish species produced at MRRC are released to the coastal waters as an attempt to compensate for the decline of stock due to catch.

Fishermen are specially ordered to release back to the sea the under sized fish caught accidentally during the fishing operations. Following the fisheries regulations such as staying away from fishing in spawning season and areas, using of only permitted fishing gears with specified mesh opening, refrain from polluting the sea are all intended to achieve a sustainable fisheries.

Experimental Studies Done On The Problems Facing The Coastal Zone

Marine Resources Research Centre (MRRC) has done a number of experiments to study the effect of oil on the survival and growth of mangrove seedlings. In case of an oil spill, immense damages are often caused to beaches, fishing crafts and gears and the fishing activities are affected for indefinitely. Oil reaching mangrove areas has deleterious effect on the spawning and nursing phases of the life cycle. Therefore these experiments gave helpful results to assess the tolerance level of mangrove seedlings during oil contamination in a coastal environment.

Investigative experiments were also conducted by MRRC to find out the effect of Dubai Crude Oil on certain common fish species. The lethal concentration of crude oil on Rabbit fish S.canaliculatus was studied through a set of Bio-assay experiments at MRRC.

A commercial product called BOI (Bio-degradable Oil Interceptor) for combating oil slick from the marine environment manufactured by an Environmental Company, was subjected to experiments at MRRC at the request of the firm to check its performance, effect on fish and mangroves. Such preliminary studies are essential before introduction of any new product into the marine environment. Ministry of Environment & Water take care regarding the safety and protection of the marine resources and environment in all possible ways.

Releasing of fish fingerlings at suitable locations in the coastal waters of United Arab Emirates is done every year	Planting of mangrove seedlings along the beaches where there is no mangrove or only scanty growth exists. Mangrove areas form an ideal place for the development of fisheries		Discarded nets and other waste materials do severe damage to the corals and marine life	Shelf region and coral reef areas of the United Arab Emirates are cleaned by divers to provide healthy environmental conditions for the corals and the marine life in the area