Hi Ian, Abdul, Kinks, Beefy,

I suggest that there should be certain standards of Ethical angling like releasing fishes up to a certain size including specific species etc.

As i havent done any trolling yet, therefore, the species most caught are shaaries and breams along a few hummours. However, you guys catch different varieities of fish, therefore, you guys could comoe up with a paper specifiying such standards. In addition to this we can also ensure that we do nit leave around garbage behind when we leave. Little things like would surely help.

Fishemirate members can ensure that we follow such standards and spread the awareness to other anglers as well.


Regards
Amir

Great suggestion....fully agree, but the problem is it needs to start from the top....government needs to make catch limits etc. otherwise we are fighting a loosing battle!!!!!

Anyone got contacts in the fisheries dept. because they are the ones who need to change things!

The real problem is getting people to obey them, the government made the hammour law and most people don't obey it or haven't even heard about it. We need basic regulations such as size limits, and catch counts. Such as 5 queenfish at a minimum length of 35cm depending on the breed of the queen. The problem that happened with the hammour is solely connected to the lack of any limits. Most every country with good fishing has limits, its a joke that the UAE doesn't. I feel like a hippocrite after going fishing in fujairah last weekend and keeping alot of fish, but everyone I caught was of an over average size or at the end of their life. Not to mention we've got a family of 5 and everyone is a fish lover, infact we're a little under halfway through the fish we caught.

I think the way we can make this happen is by first getting something solid to work with such as breeds and sizes to be posted at launching areas and docks, then get a newspaper involved. The thing with the government here is they have a habit of taking your oppinion in one ear and shooting it out the other. No one ever really cared about the road deaths here until newspapers started writing about it and the municipality took defense by tightening up the laws.

I am from Pakistan. Did not fish there. Started regular fishing here. But there are a few forums out there, namely PGFA (Pakistan Gamefish Association) which is also a affiliate of IGFA. The government does not do any thing there either, but PGFA members very eagerly comply with such standards.

Check out the website and see some of the reports from of fishing in Karachi www.pgfa.org

Small but it would make a difference, so the fish emirate member can start.

rgds
Amir

Well most of us comply with basic fishing ethics here, don't keep the babies, don't wipe out a fishery at a time, and so on. Its just time for the next step, most people fish with the idea that they can take as many as they want and even if it makes a diference it won't in their time fishing there but it does. Since I've fished in the emirates I've seen a drastic decline. It may be because I moved from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, but even in the last 3-4 years its gotten worse. What really grinds me up is when I'm fishing the breakers or from the surf and I see an experienced fisherman catching and keeping everything that ends up on his line, and talking to them about declining fisheries doesn't make any impact. People catching baby snappers is just stupid I don't even see how you can eat them lol.

You are right kinks. From the shore I have seen a lot of people keeping what ever they catch.

I also started the same way, however did not keep the tiny ones kept only ones which were edible and were larger then palm size. However, as now I have fished quite a lot (no champion though) but now I keep some for the table and release all other back.

I do a lot of release especially from the creek as I do not like to give the fish caught to others. If I need it I keep it otherwise return it to the waters.

Regards
Amir

My 2 cents (could possibly be 2 phils)


Ever heard of babies making babies ?? (Dont answer)

Its NO !

What I have read here in earlier posts is ...."spare the babies, get them adults" (Even if it was the opposite, I'd say it sounds pathetic)

Its not just about the size of the fish being kept. Its the quantity of fish (catch) being retained. A lot may say, that fishing by rod / angling. Doesnt make much difference......I'd say it does.

Taking for the table is fine.....provided it for a meal or 2 or 3.... not for the next 10 meals !

Does anyone know how many of the little fish grow to adult size to spawn ? not many eh ?

The govt here has made rules, NO nets allowed. Go to the Dubai Marina on friday @ 9:30am...you will see a group of guys laying out nets near the beach, catching small fish & cleaning them there itself. Anyone care to call the authorities.....naaaa we are too busy to take care of our own problems, why interfere ?
How many even know that the govt here releases safi & hamour hatchlings in the waters ? Yeah they do....maybe some other species too.

These issue of depleating fish stock have been spoken about over & over again, all over the world, but besides the govt releasing hatchlings, we on the other hand do almost nothing here.

We can make a difference here on the forum, by limiting our catch, controlling the fish size & quantity.....but thats about it. Maybe, we can tell our fishing companions to release some of the fish caught. That could help a bit.

Some months ago there was something about Hamour being endangered, Ian mentioned it on the forum, Richie, joerg, Ziad etc, all released their catch. But right now there is chaos. No one cares anymore. Everyone giving B*** Talks about what the other should do.....NO one can control what we do, but ourselves.

Bottomline, Just be responsible.

I'd rather give away 2 fish I caught than have someone else kill 10 more trying to catch 'THAT ONE' in the bargain.

You are right Keyur.

I do practice catch and release (with respect to size) personally and my other 3 fishing colleague do as well. That is why I suggested that if we follow such practices and also advise others it would make a difference.

My CR at the moment is limited to size of the fish. As far as the Quamtity is concerned, its not a problem for me as I mainly fish from the shores, therefore not a lot of catch.

However, I have caught plenty of snappers, sharries, breams, nagroors and let them back due to their size.

My catch variety is limited to the above species of fishes. Never caught a hummour. Their numbers are decreasing for surely as I have heared from alot of people that there were plenty of hummours in the creek a few years ago.

regards
Amir

Yeh The hammour is a problem in the creek I've seen many laborers catch them and keep them. When I see this I don't know how to react. There is a few homeless people under the bridge and they catch whatever they can to survive but they also catch quite alot of little fish too. I think we just need catch limits and I think it will change if the limits are enforced.

Hey Guys,

This is a great topic and one I totally agree with. Thanks Amir for starting this thread.

Click here http://myfwc.com/marine/Docs/July2008RegsChart.pdf and you can download a PDF file with the size and daily limits. I think if we can start using this chart as a basis to what we keep and throw back and we can start to make a difference. This is from the Florida Fishing Laws. It is a great starting point as most fish that are available in this area are mentioned. The rest will just have to be common sense.

Once again it will be up to us, the common people to make a difference.

Maybe take a few print outs with you when you go out and hand them out to other anglers that we meet along the way ..... if they return half they normally keep then its a start.

Hi Guys,

Yesterday I went to the Marina Sheraton breakwater and saw plenty of Philipinos or Koreans (Sorry for the nationality things but that how it is) cathing small baitfish using nets. Isnt netting banned (these guys did not seems to be commercial fishermen) but they were netting and catching what ever came their way.

I even had an argument with those guys but no use.

Do we have a help line or number of the dubai muncipality number where we can lodge such complaints.

Ian the attached limit sheet is good and would give us an idea how to start off.


regards
Amir

well mass netting is illegal, but im pretty sure cast nets for catching baitfish are legal, lots of charter companies do that.

Hi all. I reckon the answer is slot limits ie. fish in a certain weight/size range. That way the little ones have a chance to grow and your breeding stock gets some protection. Anyone have any idea how long it takes for a hamour to reach breeding size?

Hamour take around 5 years to get to the stage where they can reproduce. Sadly very few make it to this point. I don't know if the 5 years thing is true I just heard it somewhere on the forums.