Blue Carbon - First Level Exploration of Blue Carbon in the Arabian Peninsula

of the Abu Dhabi Emirate’s fisheries are currently classified by EAD as ‘over-exploited.’ The stocks of 8 popular species (including the Hamour and Farsh) are heavily over-exploited. Re-building fish stocks is a high priority environmental goal for the Emirate. High quality, local food sourcing is imperative for discerning high end tourism market. The provision of unique/region specific, local fish to restaurants and the hospitality industry could provide economic incentive to ensure long-term fishery health. In addition, the fishery industry is critical for economic propriety of local communities.

Mangroves and seagrasses produce a large amount of leaf litter per acre per year, which is broken down by bacteria and fungi and eventually provides food for sea-life. Mangrove habitats provide a rich source of food while also offering refuge from predation for many fish species. Mangroves and seagrasses serve as essential habitat for the commercially important Hamour ( Epinephelus coioides ), Aqalah ( Lutjanus fulviflamma ), Badah ( Gerres longirostris ) and Faskar ( Acanthopagrus bifasciatus ). Fisheries throughout the region would suffer a dramatic decline without access to connected and healthy seagrass and mangrove habitats. Regional fisheries are currently threatened by a multitude of impacts, including habitat destruction, overfishing and water pollution. Over 70 per cent

Figure 11: The value of ecosystem services.

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