Fisherman who caught shark may lose UAE boat licence

Fujairah - Viral videos and reports on social media showed an Emirati fisherman who caught a 347kg bull shark.

The Emirati fisherman, whose video of catching a 347kg shark had gone viral, may be penalised with a six-month boat licence suspension, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) said. 
The suspension applies to first-time violators but if he is proven to be a repeat offender, his boat licence shall be cancelled, Salah Al Rayssi, director of the fisheries sustainability department at the ministry, told Khaleej Times.
"The ministry is probing all the circumstances surrounding the shark-catching incident that took place in Fujairah on February 16," Al Rayssi said. 
"The cancellation of the boat license shall be ordered against repeat offenders as per the Cabinet Resolution No. 18 of 2012, which elaborates the application of penalties for the violators of living aquatic resources and fisheries during the breeding season."
Viral videos and reports on social media showed an Emirati fisherman, Eid Sulaiman, who, with the help of a friend and two sailors, managed to catch a 347kg bull shark 64km off the Fujairah coasts. 
"I was only using a traditional hand line and hook when the shark bit the bait," Sulaiman claimed. 
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Fujairah