By Maram Kayed – Feb 16,2020

AMMAN — The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan has completed a draft guide for marine fishing in Aqaba as part of a project aimed at strengthening the legislative framework for Aqaba’s fishing sector.

The project is being implemented with the support of the German Hanns Seidel Foundation, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times.

The first stage of the project, which has been completed, focused on reviewing and developing instructions for marine fishing with input from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Aqaba Special Authority and other relevant authorities.

According to Project Manager Mohammed Tawaha, developing these instructions allows concerned entities to keep up with changes that have occurred along the Jordanian coast since the issuance of the now-outdated instructions which were in place for several years.

The second stage of the project, drafting the fishing guide in cooperation with the fishing sector, was completed on Thursday, Tawaha said.

Serving as a “reference document for rational and sustainable fishing practices”, the guide offers tutorials and information about the methods and management of fishing areas in Aqaba and details all procedures related to fishing, from picking out equipment to public safety. It also covers ethical practices regarding prohibited species according to the Jordanian law.

According to Tawaha, the guide follows the standards and practices of “established international institutions” such as the the Regional Organisation for the Conservation of the Environment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the instructions of a joint GEF-UNDP project that aims to empower local communities to protect marine ecosystems in Aqaba.

“First and foremost, we believe that the fisherman himself has a major role in protecting the marine environment’s resources and developing appropriate solutions to the challenges facing the sector as a whole,” concluded Tawaha.

http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/guide-aims-standardise-marine-fishing-practices-aqaba