Abu dhabi: The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched the "Hamdan bin Zayed: The World's Richest Seas" initiative, aiming to significantly increase fish stocks in the emirate, seeking to achieve one of the highest densities globally by 2030.
According to Emirates News Agency, the announcement was made on the occasion of the UAE's National Environment Day and coincided with a major environmental milestone for Abu Dhabi. The emirate achieved 100 percent in the Sustainable Fishing Index by the end of 2025, compared to just 8 percent in 2018. This was announced during the meeting of the Global Councils for Sustainable Development Goals, held on the sidelines of the World Government Summit 2026, chaired by Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, Chair of the Global Councils for Sustainable Development Goals.
The heads of the global councils from 17 countries and the vice-chairs of the councils, mostly high-level UAE government officials, were also present at the meeting. This transformative progress reflects the success of the integrated regulatory and scientific approach adopted by the emirate over recent years. It has played a pivotal role in safeguarding and sustaining marine resources, while strengthening the national food security ecosystem by increasing the abundance of local fish stocks and ensuring the availability of natural, renewable food sources for the community.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, affirmed that this achievement reflects the strong support the agency receives from President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Hamdan noted that achieving a 100 percent Sustainable Fishing Index marks a pivotal milestone in Abu Dhabi's journey to safeguard its marine resources.
As part of efforts to enhance productive marine habitats, Abu Dhabi Coral Gardens is one of the initiative's flagship projects. The programme aims to establish new marine sites and underwater gardens through the deployment of 40,000 artificial reef modules, with the number set to rise to 80,000 by 2030, supported by partnerships across multiple sectors. These efforts will create a resilient marine infrastructure capable of attracting fish, increasing biodiversity, and strengthening natural productivity across the emirate's waters.
These efforts are reinforced by a suite of complementary initiatives, most notably the Coral Rehabilitation Project, which aims to increase the number of cultivated coral colonies to four million, alongside the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative, which targets the planting of 50 million mangrove trees by 2030. Together, these initiatives harness advanced technologies and artificial intelligence applications for monitoring, analysis and the identification of optimal development sites, ensuring the greatest possible environmental impact.
Mohamed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Vice Chairman of the Board of EAD, affirmed that the initiative represents a natural extension of the emirate's achievements in fisheries management. He noted that the remarkable rise in the Sustainable Fishing Index - from 8 percent to 100 percent in just six years - demonstrates the effectiveness of the regulatory policies adopted by Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, said that the initiative embodies a clear vision to build a more productive and sustainable marine ecosystem, guided and supported by the direction of UAE's leadership. Expanding the network of protected areas to cover 20 percent of the emirate's total area represents one of the initiative's core pillars, providing effective protection for sensitive habitats and strengthening their capacity for natural regeneration.
