ABU DHABI // Emirati fishing boats are being chased by the Iranian navy, and Iranian pirates are stealing their equipment, a recent report by the Federal National Council alleges.
Fishermen in the northern emirates are believed to be suffering the most from such harassments.
The FNC report, drafted over the summer by the Foreign Affairs, Planning, Petroleum, Mineral Wealth, Agriculture and Fishery Committee, criticised what it called the Government's "weak role" in protecting fishermen against "stealing and damaging of fishing equipment, chasing of fishermen by pirates in neighbouring countries and harassment by some security services in neighbouring countries".
Iran was the only nation cited as having obstructed the fishing in the Gulf. Fishermen were subject to chasing by Iranian naval forces, despite the fact that the fishermen were in UAE territorial waters, the report said.
Obaid al Nuaimi, an FNC member from Ras al Khaimah, said the harassment was a constant issue for seamen. "It's a permanent problem," he said yesterday. "Anyone who goes in the regional waters out of the northern emirates is prone to chasing by the Iranians."
The territorial waters of a country stretch to 12 nautical miles from its coastline, but most of the fishing boats operate in international waters, which contain richer fish stocks.
"The Iranians steal the fish and tow the boats to the Iranian coasts," said Mr al Nuaimi, who took part in the FNC's discussion of the fishing industry on Tuesday. He added that in many cases the fishermen were held by Iranian authorities.
Mr al Nuaimi said UAE fishermen had to compete with "random fishing" by big Iranian fishing boats close to Emirati oil rigs.
The report said the coastguards of other countries had also been harassing fishermen in the Gulf of Oman despite the fishermen's assertion that they were within the UAE's territorial waters.
Fishermen in the Gulf of Oman, the report said, complained that commercial ships and oil tankers destroyed the floating markers used to locate fishing nets, and said they had been attacked by pirates of neighbouring countries. The countries were not named.
Fishermen in Abu Dhabi, however, said yesterday they had not had any contact with the Iranian navy, and an official from the Abu Dhabi Fishermen Co-operative said that fishermen were to blame if their boats drifted into Iranian waters.
"Every fisherman should respect their leadership and their country and not enter the waters of others," said Ali al Mansouri, the head of the co-operative. "There are no problems in Abu Dhabi because most of the fishermen abide by regulations."
Mr al Mansouri said that because of the meandering sea borders in the Gulf, some fishermen could enter foreign waters without realising it. But he said global positioning systems should enable them to pinpoint their whereabouts.
mhabboush@thenational.ae
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
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Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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Scoreline:
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Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
