A sad happy fishing story

Team banana is back in Khasab. We arrive to find our quaint little bay is a buzz with activity. Three boats wallow in the shallows engorged to the brim with the mornings Plunder. Flying fish land in bins, or in the backs of utes. An accurate underarm lob a rudimentary but essential skill in this sorting frenzy. Its action stations. Even the kids are involved clambering over the slimy piles, picking out the unwanted specimens. We stroll over for a closer look. Queen fish, Giant trevally and Barracuda make up the bulk of the catch. We have an educated guess at the total haul and decide its about two tonne. White, who has been known to suffer beard envy, surprisingly sparks up a conversation with a fishermen sporting a badass beard. The boats landed their catch by coordinating two hundred meters of net laid out across the bay. The bearded man was keen to go out again, either later in the arvo or early the next morning, depending on energy levels and suggested we come. We shared the excitement of these fishermen and were genuinely thrilled at their harvest. Fingers crossed they hadn't already caught all the fish.

That evening the Banana's were back at camp after a day out boating. There were five vessels out in the bay. We had missed a chance to head out with them, probably for the best, these guys had been out for hours. We could hear a celebration wafting across the water. The chanting and singing lead us to believe the fishermen had landed the mother haul. Feeling a little green (with envy) banana, we started our own chant, "B-A-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N ... A-N-A", and decided that although their party sounded more fun, musically, our chant was superior. We retire and as per usual Yellow is snoring within a few minutes. Unable to get a wink of sleep White goes for a stroll and bumps into the Fisher Pimp who owns all the boats. Speaking of how his employees were doing the Fisher Pimp describes the catch as "too much big". He promises to let us know when the boats get in. At one o'clock the Banana's are awoken by a blaring horn, flashing lights and an invitation for a chauffeured ride in an air-conditioned Land cruiser. We immediately notice an eight tonne truck. It has been maneuvered down the winding gravel track to collect the harvest, so we predict the fishermen had done well. They had. Five boats with a skin full of fish, a massacre. To put it in perspective, it took three and a half hours for the men to empty their boats into the truck.

The next morning we set off for a dive. The first thing that hit us was the stench. As we clambered a kilometer to the dive spot, we became aware that the smell was not localized to the beach where the boats were unloaded. As we slipped into the water, there was an obvious film of fish scum on the surface. Yellow bumps into some miscellaneous flotsam, looks into a glazed eyeball and gets a horror shock. Its a fish corpse bloated and rotting in the sun. This was the first of numerous encounters with discarded fish deemed not worthy for market. There were heaps, either floating, or laying lonely in sand. When even the other fish are ignoring what would appear to be a cheap meal, the fact is hammered home that this was a real waste. It wasn't just dead fish; plastic plates, discarded drink cans and other human trash sullied the subterranean landscape. All these things are less obvious from a boat. Our previous dive had revealed a vibrant aquatic picture, but today the sea seemed to be in mourning. The water was murky with particles all churned up from the roaring boat motors. The Banana's hit rock bottom when we discovered a manta ray, its form and gaping mouth unmistakable. With only a two meters wingspan, the ray was clearly still a juvenile. Its white belly had been picked open in several places by ocean scavengers. We figured it had drowned in the fishing net. Having always wanted to encounter one of these majestic creatures, what a shame it had to be under these circumstances.

Having witnessed the aftermath of what would seem like a joyous event in that small bay in Khasab, it is undeniable that this harvest had had an effect on a delicate environment. Maybe we were twisted from the shit dive, but we call it as we see it, and the scene was pretty grim. In the UAE, we are blessed that the ocean is plentiful. It encompasses a rich diversity in terrain and species within which we are lucky to be able to harvest and play. Its not a condemnation of the fishing practices or techniques involved. They are in no way as damaging as commercial operations however its the general attitude towards conservation and the aptitude for waste that is worrying. Whether its a lack of education, or consideration or just laziness, it is an attitude that could seriously damage the fish stocks and the quality of the ecosystems in these waters.

Our first bone to pick is with the littering. Especially coming from the people who's lively hood depends on the ocean. We have witnessed far to much garbage being tossed into the water or out cars. It doesn't disappear. The beaches are strewn with rubbish. Everyone that dives would agree that the sunken coke nestled in amongst coral just isn't a good look, but an all too common sight. The second gripe is with the indiscriminate plundering of all fish species. If there are regulations as per catch limits, or minimum size restrictions per species, they certainly aren't being observed. Just as an example, you can visit the fish market and find hamour, a local favorite which is also endangered, being sold in size ranges as small as 15-20cm. This is a species belonging to the grouper family, and can grow to considerable sizes. This is also a species that reaches breeding maturity at 3 years, when the asexual juveniles turn into females. The females only evolve into males after reaching approximately 10 kilograms, a maturation process that could take 10 years. These larger fish are of course required to fertilize the eggs. It's no excuse to say that this species are stocked, with hamour fry being raised and released to the sea. The chances of these minnows breeding is far less likely than that of a mature adult specimen.

On a positive, there are conservation projects that exist. For example, the regeneration of mangroves, an important part of the ecosystem and a haven where many fish species spawn and hatch their offspring. The mangroves around the UAE have suffered from the extensive dredging of waterways but now you may see grid fields of saplings being planted on high tide lines. Some can be observed from the motorway out towards Yas Island. Sir Baniyas Island is an example of a protected marine reserve, and so benefits from attracting many beautiful creatures such as rare turtles and manatees. It would be good to see more of these reserves where fishing is prohibited.

Perhaps we are on the verge of taking a step in the right direction. Lets hope we see more motions towards the conservation of the environment in the UAE. However, we must also realize that it doesn't necessarily have to be legislation that creates change. It's just a matter of awareness and shared love for the sea.

Y&W