QATAR GOVERNMENT SHINES A LIGHT INTO CITES DARKNESS

Dateline 22-03-10

In April 2009 the SCS Qatar expedition ended with the society making three conservation suggestions to the Qatari authorities - Green Sawfish protective legislation, an annual three month ban on elasmobranch landings, and a three month closure to all fishing of a shark nursery area.

In October Richard Peirce, Mark Boothman, and Bob Pennington returned to Qatar for a four day mini expedition, one of the aims of which was to move forward the suggestions made in April. The team met with Qatari officials and the response was positive. In January, SCS chairman Richard Peirce, had further meetings in Doha which resulted in a decree being drafted which was presented to His Excellency Abdullah bin Mubarak bin Aboud al Midhadhi, the Minister of the Environment, for signature.

On March 21, amid a lot of less than positive news coming from the 15th CITES conference being held in Doha, it was announced that the Minister had signed the decree making the Green Sawfish (Pristis zijsron) a totally protected species in Qatari waters.

This is a significant success and it's no exageration to say that the waters of the central Gulf are probably one of the last strongholds for this species. This bold move by the government of Qatar is a major step in preventing this animal following too many others into extinction.

The society salutes all those in Qatar who have helped bring this about and in particular wishes to thank and acknowledge the efforts of Mr Mohammad Saeed Mohannadi Alshoqeri, the director of the Fisheries Resources Department, and Dr. Mohammad Abdullah of the same department.

Richard and Jacqui Peirce and Mark Boothman expect to fly to Bahrain in April to suggest to the Bahraini government that they put into effect similar legislation.