United Arab Emirates, August 25, 2015

The Ministry of Environment and Water along with Dibba Al Fujairah Municipality and Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority recently sent a delegation to 'Aqua Nor 2015,' a specialized aquaculture exhibition which was held from August 18 to 20, 2015 in Norway. The Ministry's participation was in line with its commitment to the protection and development of living aquatic resources in the UAE. It is also part of active efforts to encourage investment in aquaculture projects and recognize the sector as one of the fastest growing food production industries worldwide.

The delegation included H.E. Engineer Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of Water resources and Nature conservation Affairs; H.E. Hassan Salem Al Yamahi, Director-General of the Dibba Fujairah Municipality; and Eng. Abdullah Juma Al Junaibi, Director of the Animal Production Department at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.

H.E. Hareb said that aquaculture and fisheries represent an essential component of food security, ecological balance and the global economy, emphasizing that the UAE has adopted aquaculture solutions at the early stages in order to find sustainable alternatives and solutions to the development of fisheries in the country.

H.E. Hareb added that the Ministry's participation in 'Aqua Nor 2015' follows the country's strong interest in promoting natural resources, namely the protection of fisheries, in light of the growing population and expected rise in per capita consumption of fish and fishery products. She elaborated that the UAE adopted the aquaculture technique in 1984 through the Ministry's Marine Environment Research Center and efforts have only increased since then especially as reflected by the establishment of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Centre for Marine Research which plays a significant role in the industry.

H.E. Hareb further underlined the importance of promoting cooperation and international partnerships to boost sustainable environmental development across the various industries and segments. Hareb also pointed out that 'Aqua Nor' is an excellent and crucial platform for the government sector, private businesses and professionals to maximize the promising opportunities in the industry, be introduced to the successful and prominent experiences of industry leaders, and showcase best practices and the latest systems and technologies.

The Ministry also hosted the first-ever 'Aqua Middle East' exhibition and summit in March 2015, attracting around 5,000 visitors and aquaculture professionals from various public and private sectors in the region.

Following the overwhelming success of the event, the Ministry has announced that 'Aqua Middle East' will be organized annually. The next edition will be held in March 2016 and is poised to attract an even larger number of exhibitors as it serves as a crucial venue to promote investment in aquaculture and relevant industries and exchange best practices, innovations and experiences in the field of marine researches. The event will also feature the latest international technologies and equipment used in aquaculture.

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© Press Release 2015