Turning the Tide: Ecosystem-Based Management Reforms and Fish Stock Recovery in Abu Dhabi Waters, United Arab Emirates

Dario Pinello (), Mohamed Abdulla Ahmed Almusallami, Franklin Francis, Ahmed Tarish Al Shamsi, Ahmed Esmaeil Alsayed Alhashmi, Mohamed Hasan Ali Al Marzooqi and Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri
Additional contact information
Dario Pinello: Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates
Mohamed Abdulla Ahmed Almusallami: Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates
Franklin Francis: Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates
Ahmed Tarish Al Shamsi: Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates
Ahmed Esmaeil Alsayed Alhashmi: Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates
Mohamed Hasan Ali Al Marzooqi: Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates
Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri: Environment Agency—Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 45553, United Arab Emirates

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: Fisheries management in Abu Dhabi has undergone a significant transformation over the past two decades, shifting from an open-access system to a more regulated framework aimed at stock recovery and sustainability. This study evaluates the status of 13 commercially important fish species—accounting for 95% of total landings—using two complementary stock assessment methods: CMSY++, a Bayesian catch-based model, and the Length-Converted Catch Curve (LCCC), a length-based mortality estimation approach. Fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent data collected from 2001 to 2024 were analyzed to assess trends in biomass, exploitation rates, and spawning stock biomass per recruit (SBR). CMSY++ outputs indicate that in 2005, only 1 out of 13 stocks was sustainable, with biomass (B) above the biomass that can reproduce maximum sustainable yield (BMSY) and fishing mortality (F) below the fishing mortality that gives the maximum sustainable yield (FMSY), and 5 stocks were overexploited. By 2024, seven stocks had recovered to sustainable levels, with biomass at or above BMSY and exploitation rates below FMSY. LCCC results for 2024 further confirm these findings, with most species exhibiting SBR values above the 30% threshold, except for Lethrinus nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775), which remains close to overexploitation limits. The observed stock recovery coincides with effective governance and key fisheries management measures, including effort reduction, gear restrictions, and spatial protections. While most stocks are now within sustainable biological reference points, transboundary species such as Scomberomorus commerson (Lacépède, 1800) require continued regional cooperation for effective management. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts to achieve and maintain fully sustainable fisheries in the Arabian Gulf while aligning with international conservation frameworks, biodiversity protection goals, and climate-resilient fisheries management strategies.

Keywords: Arabian Gulf; ecosystem approach; fish recovery; small-scale fisheries; sustainable fisheries management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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