In a new blow to unfair environmental practices, and as part of the tireless efforts to protect national resources, the monitoring teams of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture office in Rabigh Governorate, in close field coordination with the Border Guard Command, were able to apprehend a number of violators of the fishing, investment and protection of living aquatic resources system.
This operation comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is intensifying its efforts to enforce environmental law along its extensive coastlines, to ensure the sustainability of resources for future generations.
Details of the security operation at “Al-Kharar Point”
Official reports revealed that the operation took place at the “Nuqtat al-Kharrar” center, where monitoring and surveillance teams successfully apprehended a group of Myanmar nationals. The violators were found in possession of internationally and locally prohibited fishing equipment which they were about to use in territorial waters, a blatant violation of the regulations established by the Ministry to govern the fishing sector.
The thorough inspection resulted in the confiscation of six "Ashoura" type fishing nets made of nylon. The seized items were impounded, and the necessary reports were filed in preparation for applying the legal penalties against the violators, to serve as a deterrent to anyone who might consider harming the marine environment.
“Ashoura” nets: A danger threatening wildlife
Nylon nets, known locally as "ashoura," are among the most dangerous tools used in illegal fishing, which is why they are banned by the Kingdom and international environmental organizations. The danger of these nets lies in their slow biodegradability, making them persistent death traps even if lost at sea—a phenomenon known as "ghost fishing.".
Moreover, these nets cause widespread destruction of coral reefs that need decades to grow, and act as an indiscriminate fishing method that kills small fish and non-target marine life such as turtles and dolphins, leading to the depletion of fish stocks and disrupting the natural reproductive cycle, thus threatening long-term marine food security.
Environmental sustainability and the Kingdom's Vision 2030
These monitoring efforts in Rabigh are inseparable from the broader context of Saudi Arabia's strategic directions. Under Vision 2030 and the "Green Saudi Arabia" initiative, the Kingdom is giving considerable attention to protecting the marine environment in the Red Sea, which is considered one of the world's most important natural treasures due to its unique biodiversity and climate-resilient coral reefs.
Maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the marine environment is a fundamental pillar for supporting the major ecotourism projects launched by the Kingdom on the Red Sea coast, in addition to its economic importance in supporting the fisheries sector as a tributary to the non-oil national economy.
A call for commitment and stricter penalties
Commenting on the incident, the Deputy Director of the Ministry's office in Rabigh Governorate, Mr. Hussam bin Hamdan Al-Juraib, emphasized that this operation was the result of high-level security and monitoring coordination among government sectors. Al-Juraib affirmed that monitoring teams will continue to patrol the coast around the clock to detect any violations.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture reiterated its warnings to all fishermen and hobbyists to fully comply with regulations and use only permitted fishing gear. The Ministry emphasized that legal penalties will be imposed on anyone using illegal fishing methods, in order to preserve this sustainable national resource.
