FUJAIRAH // As the region's top sport anglers prepare to converge on the UAE's east coast for next week's inaugural Fujairah Classic, an official qualifying event for the 2010 International Game Fish Association world championship, the tournament organisers are hoping the tempting bait of a world finals spot will lure in a raft of last-minute teams.
Only 10 teams have signed up for the three-day Classic, which is being co-hosted by the Le Meridein Al Aqah and the Fujairah International Marine Club (FIMC), but that has not dampened the event's realistic organisers' desire to build a sustainable long-term fixture.
"It's our first year and it is a recession," said Bruce Fennessey, the tournament's director. "I was expecting around 30 boats from the region, but to get 10 teams this year - as a start - is a benefit for the tournament because it allows us to grow."
According to the South African, the Fujairah Classic' standing as a "big fish" tournament will appeal to skilled anglers and recreational fishing novices.
Aside from heralding the UAE's emergence on the international sport fishing arena, the event also debuts the region's first kayak sport fishing division. While the kayak squadron will stay within sight of the shoreline, the 24-60ft vessels contesting the main competition will fish the fringes of the UAE's water borders.
Maj Ahmed Ibrahim Mohammed Darak, the managing director of FIMC, revealed provisions had been made to ensure crews do not unintentionally stray into neighbouring inhospitable territories.
"These guys can go up to 20-24 miles," said Darak. "But we don't want people to end up in Iran or their waters. We will inform the teams not to go in to the waters of other countries, except Oman."
@Email:emegson@thenational.ae
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.