Three-meter 348 Kg Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) caught off the coast of Fujairah, UAE

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‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

ISSN 0178-6288 https://issuu.com/dr-normanalibassamkhalaf/docs

================================ ‫ النشرة الفلسطينية لعلم األحياء‬: ‫الغزال‬ Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin Gazelle : Das Palästinensische Biologische Bulletin

================================ Monthly Bulletin – Volume 39 – Number 194 - February 2021 Published by Prof. Dr. Norman Ali Khalaf Department for Environmental Research and Media, National Research Center, University of Palestine, Gaza, State of Palestine

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Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 194 – February 2021

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Three-meter 348 Kg Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) caught off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates By: Sharif Prof. Dr. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Mohammad Ahmad Ahmad Mostafa Abdallah Mohammad Khalaf-Prinz Sakerfalke von Jaffa

Three- meter 348Kg Bull Shark caught off the coast of Fujairah, UAE https://www.thenational.ae/uae/fisherman-under-investigation-after-catching-350kg-bullshark-1.828581 Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 194 – February 2021

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Abstract On 16 February 2019, a fisherman caught a three-meter 348 Kilograms pregnant female Bull Shark off the coast of Fujairah, East Coast of the United Arab Emirates, with live bait and using a traditional hand line, after two-hour battle. Bull sharks are relatively common off the UAE coast in the early months of the year.

‫مُلخص‬ ‫ قام صائد أسماك بصيد سمكة قرش أنثى حامل تنتمي إلى سمك القرش الثور‬، 2019 ‫ فبراير‬16 ‫بتاريخ‬ ‫ على الساحل الشرقي لدولة اإلمارات‬، ‫ كيلوجراما ً في مياه الفجيرة‬348 ‫بطول ثالثة أمتار ووزن‬ ‫العربية المتحدة ؛ وقد تم إصطياده بعد معركة دامت ساعتين بإستخدام خيط الصيد التقليدي وإستخدام‬ ‫ وخاصة في األشهر‬، ‫ ويعتبر سمك القرش الثور شائعا ً نسبيا ً في المياه الساحلية اإلماراتية‬. ً ‫طعما ً حيا‬ . ‫األولى من السنة‬ The National Newspaper on 24 February 2019 wrote : “A fisherman who caught a 350kg bull shark off the coast of Fujairah is under investigation by authorities.

Eid Suleiman, 50, hunted down the apex predator — well-known for its aggressive behaviour — after colleagues claimed it was eating their catch.

Luring it close to his boat with live bait, and using a traditional hand line, he successfully hooked the shark and reeled it in after a two-hour battle.

But when officials heard about the catch, they launched an inquiry, claiming the shark had been caught during an annual five-month ban designed to protect them.

“It was the only way to stop it,” Mr Suleiman insisted. “Many fishermen were complaining about its behaviour and that made me decide to hunt it down.

“I prepared a very strong fishing line, a big hook and live bait. I didn’t expect it to be as big as it was but the fishermen were glad I managed to catch it.”

The sizeable catch — which took place on February 16 — has since angered conservationists, particularly because the shark was pregnant.

Fifteen embryos were discovered in its womb after it was brought to shore and Mr Suleiman now faces a possible six-month suspension to his fishing license.

He, meanwhile, insists he checked with the Fishermen Association in Fujairah, a local industry body, prior to starting his hunt, and was told he was legally allowed to go after it.

But this has been contradicted by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, which said the shark was caught between the February 1 to June 30 ban announced last year. The period coincides with the sharks’ breeding season.” (The National Newspaper, 24 February 2019).

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The National Newspaper continued: “To complicate the issue, however, a change to the rules this year saw the ban reduced by a month and changed to run from March 1 to the end of June.

“Mr Suleiman said that under this change of policy, he was entitled to fish for the shark, although the new regulations only come into force in March.

Bull sharks are relatively common off the UAE coast at this time of year, said Rima Jabado, founder and lead scientist at the Gulf Elasmo Project, which works to protect sharks, rays and sawfish in the Arabian seas.

The shark Mr Suleiman caught weighed 347.8 kilograms and was three metres long.

Typically, bull sharks are around 300kg and 2.4 metres long, with females slightly larger than males.

The case has provoked a fierce debate between fishermen, who have backed Mr Suleiman, and conservationists, who have highlighted the importance of protecting the species.

The shark is still considered endangered in the region, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

Numerous studies have also demonstrated that a depletion of shark numbers has led to the loss of commercially important fish and shellfish species further down the food chain.

Natalie Banks, managing director of Azraq, a non-profit volunteer marine conservation organisation, said the role of sharks at the top of ocean food chain had helped keep seas worldwide healthy for more than 450 million years.

But some shark species have seen recent declines by more than 90 per cent due to overfishing.

“Sharks are quickly headed for extinction,” said Ms Banks. “Few know, often blinded by misguided fears, of the shark's current struggles and the impact this could have on human life.

“The frightening reality is — like them or not — sharks play a crucial role on this planet. Remove sharks from the oceans and we are tampering with our primary food, water and air sources.

“They are a critical component in an ecosystem that provides one third of our world with food, produces more oxygen than all the rainforests combined, and controls our planet’s temperature and weather.”

Mohmoud Hassan, one of the fishermen who complained about the bull shark, said he was seeing rising numbers of the species in the waters he fished.

He said he supported conservation efforts but that there was also a need for an understanding that fishermen had to make a living.” (The National Newspaper, 24 February 2019).

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The National Newspaper continued: “Bull sharks are considered to be among the most dangerous sharks in the world, and along with great whites and tiger sharks, are the most likely to attack humans.

“This was the first time we’ve got annoyed by the sharks for many years,” said Mr Hassan, 43.

“We noticed their numbers were gradually increasing and now we sometimes see them close to shore.

“I think the ban has increased the number of sharks which is a good thing for the environment, but we also want to fish and bring food to the table.”

Salah Al Raisi, director of the Fisheries Sustainability Department at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, said an investigation would take place into the incident.

“The shark-catching incident that took place in Fujairah on February 16 falls within the shark fishing ban period from February 1 to June 30, coinciding with the shark breeding season,” he said.

He stressed that the updated rules, which allow shark fishing of non-specified species until the end of February, would not come into force until March 1.

“The penalty for fishing during the breeding season is a six-month suspension of the boat license for first-time offenders and a cancellation of the boat license for repeat offenders," he said.

“The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment works relentlessly to provide a solid legislative framework that ensures the conservation of the UAE’s flora and fauna, whether terrestrial or aquatic.” (The National Newspaper, 24 February 2019).

Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), also known as the "Zambezi shark" (informally "zambi") in Africa, and "Lake Nicaragua shark" in Nicaragua, is a requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. It is known for its aggressive nature and presence in warm, shallow brackish and freshwater systems including estuaries and rivers (Wikipedia).

Bull sharks can thrive in both salt and fresh water and can travel far up rivers. They have been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois, about 700 miles (1100 km) from the ocean. However, few freshwater human-shark interactions have been recorded. Larger-sized bull sharks are probably responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks, including many bites attributed to other species (Wikipedia).

Unlike the river sharks of the genus Glyphis, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks, despite their ability to survive in freshwater habitats (Wikipedia).

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References and Internet Websites: Gulf News (4 July 2019). 10 Sharks that live in the Arabian Gulf. https://gulfnews.com/uae/10sharks-that-live-in-the-arabian-gulf-1.1679153 Khalaf-von Jaffa, Norman Ali (2005). Aquatica Arabica. An Aquatic Scientific Journey in Palestine, Arabia and Europe between 1980 - 2005 / Aquatica Arabica. Eine Aquatische Wissenschaftliche Reise in Palästina, Arabien und Europa zwischen 1980 - 2005. ISBN 3-00014835-3. Erste Auflage / First Edition, August 2005: 376 Seiten / Pages. Self-Publisher: Norman Ali Khalaf, Rilchingen-Hanweiler, Bundesrepublik Deutschland & Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. http://dr-norman-ali-khalaf-books.webs.com/aquaticaarabica.htm & eBook: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/59407769/book-aquatica-arabica-an-aquaticscientific-journey-in-palestine-arabia-and-europe-between-1980-2005-by-norman-ali-khalaf-vonjaffa-2005 & eBook: https://joom.ag/nN6L Khalaf-von Jaffa, Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher (2010). Fauna Emiratus - Part One. Zoological Studies in the United Arab Emirates between 2004 - 2009. / Fauna Emiratus – Teil Eins. Zoologische Studien in die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate zwischen 2004 - 2009. ISBN 978-9948-15-462-4. Erste Auflage/First Edition, November 2010: 350 Seiten / Pages. Self Publisher: Dr. Norman Ali Bassam Khalaf-von Jaffa, Dubai and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates & Rilchingen-Hanweiler, Bundesrepublik Deutschland. http://dr-norman-ali-khalafbooks.webs.com/faunaemiratuspart1.htm & eBook: https://www.yumpu.com/xx/document/view/59546804/fauna-emiratus-part-1-zoologicalstudies-in-the-united-arab-emirates-between-2004-2009-by-dr-norman-ali-bassam-khalaf-vonjaffa-2010 Khalaf-Prinz Sakerfalke von Jaffa, Sharif Prof. Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Mohammad Ahmad Ahmad Mostafa Abdallah Mohammad (February 2021). Three-meter 348 Kg Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) caught off the coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. ISSN 0178 – 6288. Volume 39, Number 194, February 2021, pp. 1-5. Published by Prof. Dr. Norman Ali Khalaf Department for Environmental Research and Media, National Research Center, University of Palestine, Gaza, State of Palestine (with English and Arabic Abstract). https://issuu.com/drnorman-ali-khalaf/docs/bull_shark_caught_in_fujairah_uae The National Newspaper (February 24, 2019). Fisherman under investigation after catching 350kg bull shark. Three-metre pregnant fish is caught in Fujairah during the fishing ban. The National Newspaper. https://www.thenational.ae/uae/fisherman-under-investigation-aftercatching-350kg-bull-shark-1.828581 Wikipedia. Bull Shark. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_shark

Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 194 – February 2021