Ministerial Resolution No.43 of 2019 regulating shark fishing and trade.

This Resolution consisting of 9 article aims at protecting sharks by preventing them from fishing in certain periods of the year. In particular the Regulation establishes that (i) fishermen who run registered lynch boats - boats fitted out with hooks on the sides - are allowed to fish sharks from July 1 of each year until the last day of February of the following year; (ii) for every boat is allowed no more than 100 circle hooks of a size over 12/0, made of biodegradable material; (iii) fishing gear must have lights on both ends to indicate its location and a floater that shows the number of the fishing boat and emirate code; (iv) fishermen must release sharks back into the water if they accidentally get caught in their fishing gear during the restricted period; (v) fishermen need to hand over the carcass to the concerned local authority if they should find a dead shark in their fishing gear; (vi) the dumping of shark residues into the sea is prohibited and must be brought to the landing port; (vii) fishermen can only fish sharks beyond eight nautical miles from the shore; (viii) it is prohibited shark fishing for fins only; and (ix) pleasure vessels are banned from fishing sharks.
The Resolution imposes a permanent ban on fishing shark species listed (i) on CITES and CMS; and (ii) in the Federal Law No. 23 of 1999 as listed in the attachments (1), (2), and (3) attached to this Resolution.
The Resolution stipulates that the import and re-export of shark meat fresh, frozen, dried, salted, smoked, canned, or in any other form, is only permitted if accompanied with the required shipping documents. It also establishes that the import and re-export of shark fins in any form is permanently prohibited, excluding fins that are imported for scientific purposes following the approval of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE).