Ministry Of Climate Change And Environment, Fujairah Centre For Adventures Ink MoU To Cultivate World’s Largest Coral Garden (7 June 2018)
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and the Fujairah Centre for Adventures signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to cultivate the largest coral garden in the world along the coast of Fujairah.
The MoU was signed by His Excellency Sultan Alwan, Assistant Undersecretary of the Regions Sector at MOCCAE, and Saeed Al Muamari, Director of the Fujairah Centre for Adventures. His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, attended the signing ceremony.
Speaking on the new partnership, His Excellency Sultan Alwan said that cultivating the world's largest coral garden in Fujairah is one of the many environmental initiatives being taken in the Year of Zayed. The garden, expected to set a Guinness World Record, will provide a haven for biodiversity to sustain and rehabilitate ecosystems in the UAE.
Saeed Al Muamari, noted that the agreement was ratified under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, to preserve marine life and enhance fisheries, thereby boosting tourism in the emirate and attracting divers and nature enthusiasts from the UAE and abroad.
"Such agreements are important to help preserve the pristine natural beauty of the region, and its precious marine environment. The project is the largest in the world and will help boost local and international interest in the coral reef and the marine environment," Al Muamari said.
He added that the MoU will help protect the country's marine life, especially the diverse environments of its coastlines, while promoting and enhancing community participation. This is a key objective of the Fujairah Centre for Adventures in all its agreements with government institutions and departments.
Al Muamari thanked Dr Al Zeyoudi for the Ministry's contribution to the project.
Under the MoU, MOCCAE will provide grown corals of various sizes and types to meet the project's unique needs. It will also provide technical support and logistics services to the onsite team, such as supplying team members with the equipment and materials needed for coral aquaculture and transplantation and sea transportation.
The Ministry will also offer teams from the center technical training on the scientific approach to coral aquaculture and transplantation.
Furthermore, Fujairah Centre for Adventures will determine the best geographical location for the garden - to ensure it is easily accessible and within range of logistics services and that it falls within a natural protected area. The location selected by the center should meet the technical conditions set by MOCCAE, such as ensuring it is on rocky ground and at less than one nautical mile from the shore.
The center will also pilot different mechanisms of coral aquaculture and transplantation, in addition to monitoring and documenting the development in corals and assessing the area's biodiversity every quarter.
A joint technical team will be formed tasked with formulating an action plan for the project based on the recommendations of both parties, and propose ways to develop the project and draft follow-up reports.
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