Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani (centre) during opening ceremony of Qatar Forum on Whale Shark Conservation 2023 at Aquatic Research Centre at Ras Matbakh, yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: To protect the marine life from climate change, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) is working to increase the area of marine reserves to 30% of the Exclusive Economic Zone of Qatar.
Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al Thani has said that conserving marine life of all species and seeking to protect it plays a prominent role in making the environmental balance in the seas whose positive impact reflects on all the earth’s inhabitants.
The Minister was speaking at the opening ceremony of Qatar Forum on Whale Shark Conservation 2023 which began yesterday at Aquatic Research Center at Ras Matbakh. The two-day forum is being organised by the MoECC in the partnership of Unesco and hosting a group of experts and stakeholders to discuss how to protect whale shark.
He said that Qatar, which witnessed one of the largest concentrations of whale sharks recording about 600, plans to open a regional office for the whale shark.
The Minister said that Qatar has taken, during the past years, essential steps to conserve the environment, be it terrestrial or marine such as the launch of the National Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2030, Qatari National Action Plan for the Conservation and Management of Marine Resources, preparing maps of coastal zones and maps of benthic habitats of ecological importance.
“We are also updating and issuing legislation and laws that protect the environment, including the marine environment, and criminalising any activity that harms environmental biodiversity, and working to increase the area of marine reserves to 30% of the Exclusive Economic Zone of Qatar,” said the Minister.
He said that Qatar is witnessing one of the largest concentrations of whale sharks in its territorial waters, specifically in Al Shaheen field in the northeastern region of Qatar.
“According to recently documented statistics, the average number of whale sharks is about 600, a higher number than this has yet to be documented anywhere else in the world,” said the Minister. He said that the study highlighted the life of these creatures and the surrounding environment, which provided the critical infrastructure for developing plans to protect and conserve their life within the Qatari territorial waters.
“The Forum comes as part of a series of efforts made by Qatar to conserve whale sharks as part of its commitment to protecting marine species,” said the Minister.
Farida Aboudan, Programme Specialist, Unesco Office for the Gulf Countries and Yemen said that whale sharks face numerous challenges that threaten their survival, such as the destruction and degradation of their habitats, the impact of climate change on the marine ecosystem and the impact of pollution in the form of plastic waste, chemical runoff or oil spills. “Recognizing the urgent need for concerted action, Unesco has been engaging in fruitful discussions with MoECC, aiming to establish a strong partnership in order to address these challenges effectively,” said Aboudan. “She said that by joining forces, Unesco and the MoECC aim to implement comprehensive measures that encompass research and scientific collaboration, capacity-building as well education and public awareness.
“We aim to leverage Unesco’s global expertise, networks, and resources to support Qatar’s initiatives in protecting its natural heritage and promoting sustainable practices,” said Aboudan. On its first day, the forum witnessed three main sessions, during which 18 research papers were presented, with the participation of more than 11 experts and researchers. These papers reviewed a number of topics related to the conservation of the whale shark.
