Hisham Al-Meyani - Sky News Arabiya

An Egyptian fisherman caused a great deal of controversy accompanied by anger, after circulating a picture of him on social media celebrating the hunting of a marine animal, or a rare mammal that is prohibited from catching in the Red Sea, while a government official confirmed to “Sky News Arabia” that the Public Prosecution in Suez Governorate is investigating the incident.

Incident details

• During the past hours, the fisherman appeared placing the mammal on his boat and sitting next to it, indicating the sign of victory, which prompted the tweeters to demand his arrest, given that he committed the crime of catching a rare Dugong dugon .
• The Department of Natural Reserves in the Red Sea issued an official circular stating that "this fish is known as the Dugong Dugong or Mermaid , and it is rare and it is forbidden to catch it."
• That Dugong is popularly known as the "cow of the sea", due to its formation, which resembles the face of a cow in the foreground .
• The Red Sea Reserves Administration confirmed communication with the concerned authorities in the governorate to control the fisherman, and to determine the date and location of the incident .

The hunter defends himself

• After the great outrage and official actions, Al-Sayyad appeared in a video clip on social media to defend himself.
• He said that he "did not know anything about this Dugong," and that it was "the first time he saw it, even though he spent his life fishing in the sea."
• "I was surprised that the fish got out in the net, so I freed it and threw it into the sea after I took a picture with it, especially since I used to not take fish that I know nothing about," according to the fisherman.

Arrest the accused

• In turn, the Egyptian Minister of Environment , Yasmine Fouad, announced the arrest of the fisherman by the security authorities, because the pictures in which he appeared "document his commission of an illegal hunting crime and causing the death of an endangered organism."
• The minister called for "solidarity between all stakeholders and partners to protect biodiversity for us and for future generations."
• Fouad stressed the need to "strengthen and follow up on the implementation of the environment law and decisions regulating fishing, while organizing awareness campaigns to protect marine life."
• The minister called on fishermen to "fully adhere to the environment law and decisions regulating hunting, to protect them from being subjected to legal accountability."

Expected punishment

The Director General of Nature Reserves in the Red Sea, Tamer Kamal El-Din, told Sky News Arabia:

• “The accused fisherman was arrested in Suez Governorate , and he is being investigated by the Public Prosecution Office there to reveal all the circumstances.”
• "The punishment may reach imprisonment and his ignorance of the law does not exempt him from accountability."
• "His claim that he's never seen that Dugong before doesn't make sense, because he's a professional fisherman and he certainly knows everything."
• "It is not yet proven that the fisherman returned the fish alive to the sea, and even if that happened, the crime of illegal fishing actually took place, and the impact on marine diversity occurred."
• "The real problem is that these fishermen use fishing tools that are not suitable for the Red Sea , such as nylon trawl nets. Areas full of coral reefs need special tools, such as silk nets."
• "We are implementing continuous awareness campaigns for fishermen, to introduce them to the marine creatures that are prohibited from being caught, and everyone who works in the Red Sea knows very well what is permitted and prohibited."
• "This fish is found in the waters of Egypt and a number of limited countries, which have coral reefs, which are rare and feed on algae."
• "The Dugong is not eaten in Egypt, and everyone knows that, but there are abnormal practices committed by some, by catching this Dugong and cooking it in order to try something new."
• "This fish is a source of stimulation for tourism in the Red Sea, where tourists come to enjoy watching it."

What is a "sea cow"?

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, the dugong known as the mermaid or sea cow (Dugong) is:

• A large marine mammal, ranging in length from 2.5 to 3 meters.
• Its body tapers at a forked tail and is horizontally flat, and it has two "arms" in the form of two rounded fins, and it uses its large muscular lips (the upper one is bifurcated) to tear seaweeds .
• Its strong molars and hard "tampers" at the front of its jaws grind food, and the male has two small incisors that look like fangs.
• It usually travels in pairs or small groups, and after a pregnancy that lasts 13 to 14 months, the female usually gives birth to one baby in the water .

Dugongs represent one of the most important tourist attractions for the Marsa Alam region, which relies mainly on the factors of excellence in biodiversity and the unique nature of its coasts, and all environmental organizations work to raise awareness about preserving it and not exposing it to human pressure or poachind.