For centuries a staple of traditional Emirati cuisine, the Gulf's sharks remain some of its least-studied creatures.
Little is known about how many species there are, let alone their feeding, ecology and habits.
That kind of data vacuum means that it all but impossible for conservationists to make much more than a guess about how sharks' numbers are changing with time.
A young, Dubai-based researcher is hoping to change that. For more than a year, Rima Jabado has been studying the sharks brought to landing sites along the length of the UAE's Arabian Gulf coast.
So far, Ms Jabado, originally from Lebanon, and a doctoral student at UAE University, has confirmed 26 species in the Arabian Gulf.
She has also interviewed 126 local fishermen about the type of gear they use, their fishing sites and their opinions on whether and how sharks could be protected from overfishing.
The results of the study, which has three more years to run, will be important not only for conservationists but also for the fishing industry, says Dr Aaron Henderson, an assistant professor at the Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat and one of two scientific advisers to the study.
While sharks are a valuable catch for the UAE's fishermen, they are also an essential part of the marine ecosystem. As top predator, their presence keeps many other species, including some that are commercially important, in check.
"The big issue that sharks are facing, is the fact that too many are being taken out," Dr Henderson said. "There is so much fishing going on for them that they just cannot stand it."
For the fisheries to avoid collapse, they need to be regulated, with Gulf-wide rules governing the type of fishing gear allowed, fishing quotas and minimum sizes, to prevent fish being caught before breeding age.
Such rules are common elsewhere - but need to be based on scientific data that takes years to collect.
"For each species, we need to figure out things such as their growth rate, at what age females mature, how many young they produce," says Dr Henderson, who is regional vice chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's shark specialist group. "Unfortunately here, in this whole region, we do not have anything like that."
Research such as Ms Jabado's will help, he says. Of the 26 shark species she has catalogued so far, half are smaller - a metre or less in length - and tend to prefer shallower coastal water. Three of these - the milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus), sliteye shark (Loxodon macrorhinus), and white cheek shark (Carcharhinus dussumieri) - are used in popular traditional dishes.
The remaining species are larger, growing to two metres or more. They include the blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) and the spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna), known for its dramatic jumps and spins out of the water as it hunts.
At least one, the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), is endangered globally. But only two - the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) and pig-eye shark (Carcharhinus amboinensis) are considered aggressive. The great hammerhead, an aggressive predator, has been known to attack people, but rarely.
Ms Jabado has recorded all 26 species in the waters around Ras al Khaimah, but has found only 18 off Abu Dhabi, and not the aggressive bull and pig-eye sharks found off Ras al Khaimah.
The eastern emirate is also home to the biggest sharks landed, with fishermen frequently landing hammerheads of three metres and more.
The UAE's waters are also home to whale sharks - the world's largest living fish. These free-roaming ocean species travel vast distances each year, but researchers still have much to learn about their behaviour.
"I am studying all the sharks that I come in contact with at the markets and in the field," Ms Jabado said.
She has even come across a whale shark, although she has also seen evidence of its presence in the form of dried fins on sale at the Dubai fish market.
Whale sharks, though, are the focus of another project, this one by David Robinson, a marine biologist and PhD research student at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai. His SharkWatch Arabia, a database of whale shark sightings founded last August, so far has 57 confirmed sightings. He hopes it will evolve into a tool to help gauge the sharks' abundance in the Arabian Gulf waters.
In April he attached a satellite tag to an eight-metre female whale shark in Qatar. The tag will record the animal's journey for six months - a first for the region - which he hopes will shed new light on its migration patterns.
Ms Jabado, too, is hoping to discover more about migratory patterns but by an altogether different method: experimental fishing.
She has already been out several times in the waters off Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and plans to continue for another year.
To minimise the damage to the sharks, she fishes with circle hooks, rather than the traditional J-shaped hooks. With their sharpest parts pointing, they attach to the shark's mouth rather than its gut.
Once a shark is caught, it is measured and sexed. She also takes tissue samples - tiny pieces of skin from the dorsal fin, less than a centimetre across - to determine the species and genetic relationships, which she will compare with the genetic data of sharks from Oman and Fujairah. After the information is recorded, the fish are released.
Ms Jabado will compare the Arabian Gulf samples against samples from Omani sharks found in Dubai's fish market. She hopes to have genetic data from Dr Henderson and others in time to start her comparison work in October.
She wants to learn whether the sharks migrate between the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. That, in turn, will assist conservation efforts.
"If a species is migratory, having a management plan in one country only will not work," Dr Henderson said. Instead, consistent rules are needed across all the countries in a shark's range.
Ms Jabado already has some ideas about how the fishery could be better managed. An initial step would be better education for the fishermen.
Sharks breed slowly - and in general, the bigger the species, the slower they breed. Some, such as the great hammerhead, take five years or more to reach sexual maturity. Catching them too young, before they have chance to reproduce, is a sure path to a population crash.
Some, though, breed much faster, making them less prone to overfishing. Milk sharks, for example, are sexually mature at about three years.
These details, though, are a mystery to most fishermen, many of whom struggle even to distinguish between species. A little education could help them to tell the types apart, and know when a shark is too young to be caught.
A closed season would help, too. Unlike most fish, sharks generally do not release thousands of eggs into the water. Instead, the female carries a small number of young for about seven months (albeit without a placenta), before giving birth - usually between February and May.
This spring, Ms Jabado has seen pregnant sharks being landed by fishermen daily. "They are all pregnant," she says. "We are not only losing the mother but any recruitment that can replenish the stock at sea."
vtodorova@thenational.ae
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Manchester United's summer dealings
In
Victor Lindelof (Benfica) £30.7 million
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) £75 million
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) £40 million
Out
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Released
Wayne Rooney (Everton) Free transfer
Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad) £9.8 million
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh132,000 (Countryman)
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
EXPATS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lulu%20Wang%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicole%20Kidman%2C%20Sarayu%20Blue%2C%20Ji-young%20Yoo%2C%20Brian%20Tee%2C%20Jack%20Huston%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
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
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
