In UAE, when we go to a seafood restaurant, we find that the most common fish being eaten are Hammour or Grouper fishes, either grilled or fried. It may be the most common fish in the restaurant, but very few people know that it's numbers in the UAE are declining very fast. In fact it is one of the most overfished species in the world. Experts are of the opinion that these fishes are being hunted down to 7 times beyond the sustainable levels and also some other estimate says that there can be a reduction up to 70 per cent of total population in the next 5 years if the current situation continues.

Also, juvenile fishing is a big concern for the country. The govt. bans the fishing of hammour fishes which have a length of less than 45 cm. Any hammour fish less than 45 cm is considered to be a violation of law, and the fisherman is supposed to send back it to the water (The hammour have the ability to live out of water for up to 8 hours. This means there is a big chance to save them from unfair fishing).

The problem of overfishing does not only reside with the UAE and the hammour but also with other fishes like the shark and the tuna. The best example of this ecological and economical dangers of overfishing is found in Newfoundland, Canada. In 1992 the once thriving cod fishing industry came to a sudden and full stop when at the start of the fishing season no cod appeared (ref : http://overfishing.org). These fishes are now classified in the IUCN Red List as near threatened and endangered. Here the question arrives 'What can we do?'

Picking the right fish to eat may help save some of the ocean's most endangered species. We can go to supermarkets or shops and checkt the sizes of the fishes what they are selling. If that does not meet with the standard/regulations set by authorities, we can bring up this issue with the owners/shop keepers. Also we can write to hotels asking them to put more sustainable seafood options in their menus and that the fishes be labeled according to their species status. I have seen one report that a Dubai Club chef has taken action not to include any Hammour fish and any under sized fish into their menu. We need to have this kind of awareness across the society.

With these efforts, we will be able to save the wonderful marine life that we find in the deep blue seas and oceans. Let us join hands together and spread awareness.