Fishing Lures People to Fujairah and Still They’re Getting Hooked

To understand Fujairah one must reflect on its roundabouts.

The Fish Roundabout is appropriately located on Fujairah’s corniche, near the entrance to the Marine Club with its marina and down from the beach with its scallop shell seats and shelters.

Like the nearby coffeepot and perfume roundabouts, the fish roundabout has a watery theme as it spouts water from the mouths of the fish.

Historically Fujairah has been built on the twin pillars of agriculture and fishing and the Fujairah International Marine Club is doing much to preserve the memories of the shasha (fishing boats made from palm branches) with its regular shoosh (shasha) boat races and displays of the making of this ancient craft.

While fishing in Fujairah has been transformed with the arrival of fiberglass boats, outboard motors, jeeps that pull in long nets and work now being done by Bangladeshi and Indian expats, the industry is still critical to the local economy and the diet of both Emiratis and expats.

Over the years the industry on Fujairah’s east coast has been threatened by overfishing, oil dumping and from time to time red tide algae. New fish farming initiatives like the aquaculture business in Dibba are seeking to keep the industry afloat.

Fishing is also a popular sport and the safe waters of the Arabian Sea attract scores of people to the east coast. Fishing boats can be hired or people can go out to fish with professionals who provide the boat, the equipment and the knowledge of the best fishing holes.

There’s a wide variety of fish that is pulled from Fujairah waters and regular fishing competitions attract people out to sea.

Fishing tourism is a growth industry with training being offered for salt and fresh water fishing, including deep water fishing.

Fujairah has also made a great splash for the new species of fresh water fish that have been discovered and named by Dr. Norman Ali Bassam Khalaf-von Jaffa.

More than Keeping the Traffic Flowing
There’s no doubt about it! The Fish Roundabout with its healthy specimens and playful fountain alongside the ship-shaped Marine Club captures a great deal of the essence of the emirate of Fujairah.

Further
Fujairah Fly-fishing capital of the UAE, FIF, 15 November 2007.
Fujairah: Salt Water Fish Capital of the UAE, ETE, 3 June 2007.
Fishing in Fujairah, ETE, 27 April 2007.
Dead Fish, Oil and the Fujairah Beaches, ETE, 12 April 2007.
Inaugural Fujairah Fishing Classic is Al Luring, FIF, 16 October 2009.
Oil and Algae Plaguing Fujairah Coastline, FIF, 12 January 2009.
Fujairah Corniche is a Great Place for Mending Nets, FIF, 30 December 2008.
Fishing: Quintessentially Fujairah, FIF, 26 May 2008.
A Day in the Life of a Fujairah Fisherman, FIF, 27 October 2007.
Fishing in Fujairah, FIF, 6 May 2010.
Traditional Boat Races Keep Emirati Culture Alive, FIF, 4 November 2009.
Want to Go Fishing in Fujairah? ETE, 12 November 2009.
New Species of Fish Named, FIF, 1 November 2009.
New Species of Fish Discovered, FIF, 6 July 2009.
Second Fish Sub-Species Discovered in Fujairah, ETE, 1 November 2009.
Rare Fish Pulled Up in Fujairah, FIF, 24 August 2009.

Related
Take a Look at the Fujairah Souqs (including the Fish Souq), FIF.
Discover what Fujairah is about from its Roundabouts, FIF, 3 September 2010.

Take a Look at these Pictures
Here’s a link to some pictures of the Fish Roundabout, the Fujairah International Marine Club, fishermen and the fish that makes them glad.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page upon which many more articles and links are posted than on this blog.