Poachers fined in Sharjah’s Khor Kalba reserve

Our Correspondent

Sharjah’s Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) recently arrested four people accused of taking protected wildlife from the Al Qurm Protected Area at Khor Kalba on the UAE’s East Coast, WAM reported. They were accused of violating several protocols and regulations.

EPAA Chairwoman Hana Saif Al Suwaidi said that despite signboards throughout the reserve that display guidelines and stipulations such as entry to the sanctuary being forbidden without prior official permission, and laws and instructions not to harm wildlife directly or indirectly within the reserve, the people were found to have entered the reserve, ignoring the guidelines and putting the wildlife in the reserve at risk.

She said that when they were apprehended they were carrying large quantities of fish and crabs. Following legal questioning, they were each fined AED10,000 for the offence.

The penalties are prescribed by the Sharjah Executive Council for individuals found to be causing harm to nature and wildlife in the Emirate. Offences include any damage to the soil and vegetation, and the cutting of perennial and annual vegetation. The Council also issues fines for the disposal of waste from construction sites into reserve areas and for the dumping of wastewater and oil from sewage networks.

Those following unfair fishing practices, killing and harming wild animals and destroying geological formations, in addition to polluting the environment, also face severe penalties.

The Al Qurm Protected Area includes diverse ecosystems, including the only mangrove forests on the East Coast, swamps and salt marshes (sabkhas) and mudflats. It is also home to one of the rarest birds in the world, the local sub-species of the Collared Kingfisher. Endangered marine turtles also breed on its beaches.

The EPAA seeks to protect the environment, nature reserves, wildlife and their biological diversity by conducting scientific studies and research and implementing measures for pollution control. It also seeks to increase awareness through educational programmes on the principles of sustainable development.