If not for the misfortune of being the favoured ingredient in a popular dish in an increasingly wealthy Far East country, the smooth hammerhead sharks of the Arabian Gulf would be thriving.
For millennia the species here developed in complete isolation, separated by about 3,000 kilometres from the nearest colony on the southern tip of India. But that was not enough to save the fish from the burgeoning demand for shark-fin soup.
The population has plummeted - but help is at hand thanks to a move this week to severely restrict the harvesting of smooth hammerheads and four other species of sharks, two of which are also found in the Gulf.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) voted overwhelmingly this week to add five shark species to the category which are banned from being traded internationally unless they can be shown to have been harvested sustainably and legally.
China and Japan were among the nations opposing the listing, which will come into effect in 18 months.
The UAE is the world's fourth biggest exporter of shark fins to Hong Kong, the world hub for the estimated US$1.2 billion (Dh4.4bn) trade, behind Spain, Singapore and Taiwan. It has been a signatory to Cites since 1990 and was represented at the conference in Thailand, where the voting was by secret ballot.
The five new species will join three endangered shark species already protected by the convention - the great white, the whale shark and the basking shark.
Manta rays, the gill plates of which are used in a traditional Chinese purifying tonic, were also added to the list at the conference in Bangkok.
The protection was driven by the United States, Brazil and Colombia, and by NGOs such as the Pew Environmental Group and Shark Advocates International.
It was welcomed by local groups such as Sharkwatch Arabia, which described the vote as "a great day for sharks".
Elizabeth Wilson, who runs Pew's global shark-conservation campaign, says humans are the real predators, with an estimated 100 million sharks killed last year.
"The tide is now turning for shark conservation," she says.
"With these new protections, oceanic whitetip, porbeagle, and hammerhead sharks will have the chance to recover and once again fulfil their role as top predators in the marine ecosystem."
The vote was a dramatic turnaround from three years ago, when a similar move to protect the three hammerhead species failed at the Cites conference in Doha. Every proposal to regulate trade of commercially valuable marine species at the March 2010 conference was defeated.
The reclassification of the five shark species is expected to be ratified on the final day of the Cites conference tomorrow.
The UAE has made efforts to conserve sharks, with a 2008 law banning the finning of live sharks at sea and outlawing shark fishing from January 1 to April 30 each year, the main period of the breeding season.
Shark conservation advocates have pushed for a longer no-fishing season and an outright ban on the import and export of shark fins.
But trade in the three hammerhead species in the Gulf and in Omani waters has remained mostly unregulated until six months ago, when they were listed on a lower-level Cites category that requires nations to keep track of the trade of endangered and vulnerable species.
Because most of the hammerheads, primarily the scalloped hammerhead, are caught in Omani waters but sold at Deira fish market in Dubai before being re-exported to Asia, they came under the international trade category of Cites.
That requirement meant the UAE and Oman had to establish licensing systems for the international trade in hammerheads. It came into effect late last year.
At the time, the move was described as potentially "a game-changer here in UAE and the region" by Nick Dulvy, a spokesman for the shark specialist group at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
"Many hammerheads at the fish market in Dubai come from Oman," he says. "The scalloped hammerhead fins re-exported from the UAE come from other countries in the region.
"The implication of this is that all exporting countries need to provide a certificate of origin and a statement that the species was caught legally. Any re-exporting country must also have certification."
Soon after the listing, the UAE was the venue for the Shark Conservation in Arabia Workshop, organised in Dubai by the IUCN, the Ministry of Environment and Water, and Sharkquest Arabia.
Part of the event's goal was to assess what level of protection the local shark species warranted. Besides the three hammerhead species, there are 23 other shark species found in the Gulf and nearby waters, with another 17 species suspected of being in the area.
The implications of the Cites listings of the three hammerhead species is to potentially make the export illegal.
Dr Ralf Sonntag, a shark expert at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said before the workshop that if the hammerheads were coming from areas where the fishing was at unsustainable levels, importing them to UAE fish markets and re-exporting them to Asia would be illegal.
"If, say, Oman can produce a document showing fishing is not detrimental for the shark, that there is science showing they have lots of hammerheads, then it is allowed. If that is not the case then this trade should be stopped."
One of the main difficulties of assessing the sustainability of the shark populations is a lack of reliable data. Research is needed to determine what level of harvesting is sustainable, to avoid the Gulf following the example of the Mediterranean, where hammerhead populations are one ten-thousandth of their original level.
Dr Sonntag says there is no doubt the three species are under threat, but it is not yet possible to determine exactly what level of harvesting will be sustainable.
"There are no exact figures for the numbers in this region, or many other regions, but the population is massively under pressure," he adds.
"It would be very important to protect them so they can recover. It would help save them."
Part of the case by shark-protection advocates is that the UAE misses out on most of the economic benefits of the trade in shark fins.
Dried fins fetch between Dh100 and Dh125 per kilogram at Deira Fish Market, but they sell for up to $880 (Dh3,250) in Hong Kong.
Sharkquest Arabia's Jonathan Ali Khan says rich Asian businessmen get most of the profits but that the UAE has to bear much of the negative publicity associated with the trade.
"The negativity associated with this trade in terms of image is not worth it," he said at the time of the workshop.
He applauds "really important decisions" such as the ban on shark fishing during the breeding season but believes more should be done.
"We're hoping that we can try to get it extended, perhaps to six months, because it's a little bit short of the whole breeding season," he says. "And speaking for myself, I do believe that the UAE could ban the fin trade."
jhenzell@thenational.ae
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
1 Man City 26 20 3 3 63 17 63
2 Liverpool 25 17 6 2 64 20 57
3 Chelsea 25 14 8 3 49 18 50
4 Man Utd 26 13 7 6 44 34 46
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5 West Ham 26 12 6 8 45 34 42
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6 Arsenal 23 13 3 7 36 26 42
7 Wolves 24 12 4 8 23 18 40
8 Tottenham 23 12 4 8 31 31 39
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
SWEET%20TOOTH
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreated%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jim%20Mickle%2C%20Beth%20Schwartz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Christian%20Convery%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
MATCH DETAILS
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)
Genk 1
Samatta (40)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Name: One Good Thing
Founders: Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke
Based in: Dubai
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 5 employees
Stage: Looking for seed funding
Investors: Self-funded and seeking external investors
MATCH INFO
Mainz 0
RB Leipzig 5 (Werner 11', 48', 75', Poulsen 23', Sabitzer 36')
Man of the Match: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Afro%20salons
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
