Into the blue and beyond

Thousands of hamour and sobaity have been released in the territorial waters of Bahrain as part of an initiative to replenish the island's dwindling fish stocks.

More than 60,000 hamour and 10,000 sobaity were released last week and a further 20,000 hamour and 10,000 sobaity will be released this week bringing the number to a total of 80,000 hamour and 20,000 sobaity in a two week operation.

"We first undertook this kind of operation in 1994 as an annual activity with an aim to boost Bahrain's fisheries.

"This year was the first time after a gap of four years that we restarted the project all over again," said Dr Abdulridha Shams, director of Marine Resources.

The project is supported by the Public Commission for Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife in an effort to limit the damage inflicted by over fishing, dredging, reclamation, pollution and urbanisation.

Bahrain's waters are rich in marine life and beautiful fashts, or coral reefs, around the island add to the diversity of the island's territorial waters.

In the recent operation fish were released by barges around Bahrain at Fasht Al Adhm, Umm Jaleed Island, Fasht Tighailib, Hawar Island, Mashtan Island, Umm Al Na'san and by land at Zalaq and Budaiya.

"Hamour were released near the coral reef areas and sobaity near Zalaq and Budaiya and the sizes of fish ranged between five and 20 grams," said Adly Al Ansari, chief of fish deed production section.

Fish bites

The Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS) - World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) have categorised the popular white coral-bed fish, hamour, as a 'flagship species', and has made it the subject of a comprehensive campaign to conserve its home in the Gulf's coral beds.

A WWF spokesperson said: "The hamour is the most commercial fish in the region but due to their slow reproductive rate they are particularly vulnerable to over-fishing."

The strictly reef-dependent fish are some of the oldest fish on the coral reef, some being more than 50 years old, and are born females.

The fish, which can reach up to three metres and weigh more than 400kg, only change to males as they become much older - meaning their reproduction rate is far slower than other fish. And that, says the WWF, is where the problem lies.

"Hamours in the Arabian Gulf are exported up to seven times beyond sustainable levels, mainly because they are caught before they can reproduce," said the spokesperson.

"Destruction of their coral reef habitat is adding stress to the rapid decline of the species. The hamour is largely dependent on the coral reefs for bedding, foraging and shelter."

The organisation says the facts are 'worrying' and have led to the urgent need for fisheries management and more effective marine protected areas.

The EWS-WWF added: "Because of its particular biology and economic impact, the hamour has been chosen as a flagship species, due a comprehensive awareness campaign for the conservation and sustainable management of coral reef resources for biodiversity and tourism."

Hamour (brown-spotted grouper) has been the basis of many remarkable and memorable dishes.

This highly prized grouper, also known as hamour epinephelus tauvina or Tawina grouper is one of several species called hamour in the fish souqs and is the most common grouper found in the Gulf area.

The firm white meat is prepared in a variety of delicious dishes and soaks up traditional spices beautifully.

A large hamour will often be the central dish at a banquet or feast where it is cut open and baked with onion, tomato, garlic, hot peppers and cumin, laid on a bed of rice and garnished with limes.

Hamour is a staple in Bahrain.

Always fresh and delicious, hamour is available in the local fish market and most restaurants in the kingdom.

The UAQ (Um al Quwain) Marine Research Centre affiliated to the Ministry of Environment and Water has successfully hatched larvae of hamour fish.

The production of hamour offspring came at the end of a series of experiments conducted at its laboratories and the hamour hatcheries in the emirate. Some recent studies conducted in various parts of the world have suggested that 'hamour' might be facing extinction.