As part of a schedule of periodic field visits carried out by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) to audit environmental, agricultural, livestock and fishery facilities in the UAE, the Fish Inspection Section at the Ministry’s External Audit Department conducted a surprise inspection at the Ajman Fish Market and its landing site.
The visit was organized in coordination with Ajman Municipality and the Ajman Fishermen Association to verify the compliance of the fish market with the federal fisheries legislation.
The inspection team observed several violations of the Ministerial Decision No. 580 of 2015 concerning the prevention of fishing, selling and marketing of undersized fish. As per the decision, any fish caught by mistake that are smaller than the legally specified minimum size must be released back to the sea unharmed.
The Ministry stressed the need to abide by the laws issued to preserve the country’s fish stocks in order to achieve its strategic objectives of enhancing food safety and sustainability of local production. Its External Audit Section regularly inspects fishery facilities for compliance with the federal regulations governing the exploitation and conservation of living aquatic resources in cooperation with the concerned local authorities.
The Ministry spares no effort in training auditors qualified to undertake field inspections to assure compliance with relevant legislations across a range of establishments. In line with the objectives of its operational plan, the External Audit Section has held several training courses and workshops for fish market inspectors at local authorities.
The Ministry urges the public to visit its website www.moccae.gov.ae to understand the federal laws and ministerial decisions related to its work, and encourages members of the community to report any violation by calling 8003050 or through its social media channels.