Red Sea Shark Fishing Update

Shark fishing in the Red Sea is an issue that has always bothered every environmentalist, diver and all those who care about the Red Sea.

HEPCA (Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association) had several meetings with Government officials throughout the last year trying to reach a solution to stop these massacres. Unfortunately, these meetings were not a success due to the dramatic lack of legislations, and contradictions and conflicts, between Governmental agencies. This coupled with the lack of vision and the absence of any strategy of the Ministry of Fisheries meant shark fishing was becoming a major threat in the Red Sea.

The honest local fishermen of the Red Sea have always shared the same vision concerning the Red Sea future as all those concerned. They believe that if we do not stop these acts now they will not be able to feed their own in the very near future, and that the problem comes from the fishing fleets that come from outside the area with no concern about the future of the Red Sea. In the past, the limited resources of the National Parks, who are responsible for enforcing the law, has meant that they could not patrol the whole of the Red Sea.

Things came to ahead recently when a fishing boat was intersected at the popular dive site of Shaab Abu Ramada. James & Mac Diving Center contacted HEPCA and in no time the EEAA's (Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency) patrol boat was on site and the crew were arrested. His Excellency General Saad Abu Rida, The Red Sea Governor, then ordered the confiscation of the fishing boat and issued a fine of one hundred thousand Egyptian pounds.

Feeling frustrated and outraged by this incident HEPCA then found no other solution to the shark fishing issue than to sue the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

HEPCA is now very proud to announce that after a series of negotiations and a large amount of lobbying, and with the great help and dedication of Dr. Mahmoud Hanafy, the General Supervisor of the National Parks of the Red Sea, a decree has been secured from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries banning shark fishing in the whole of the Red Sea.

Previously, all the decrees the Red Sea Governor issued to protect the Red Sea were not implemented as they contradicted with the Egyptian fishing laws.

There is now a legislation in place which will ensure an umbrella of protection for Red Sea sharks. With this new legislation in place nothing will stop us from destroying this industry in the whole of the Red Sea region.

We are all now looking forward to, and getting ready to, implement this new decree.

We congratulate and thank all of those who showed their support and concern in this matter.