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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
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.
Figure 11:
The value of ecosystem services.
