Foog “o” Tahat

(The world Above the truth under)

Introduction:

Fishing played an important role  in this region especially to people living on the coast. As a coastal country UAE have a strong relationship with the sea as a source of food, trade and hobby. Not only fishing played important role in thriving UAE economically but also pearling. Therefore, UAE has a strong bond to the sea.

Capstone Brief:

Promoting an awareness campaign to protect the marine life specifically Hamoor fish. This will be achieved by raising awareness to the overfishing issue of the Hamoor fish in the UAE through maintaining a suitable and clean marine life. In order to support the idea of showing the issue of the Hammour problem the idea will be addressed creatively through the fish perspective under the sea and how it is affected.
Based on the research, in the next five years the number of Hammour population will decline due to overfishing issue and as we know Hammour is considered the best kind of fish in this region so it will be so sad to keep this precious fish to disappear.

Capstone idea objectives:

•    Idea of comparing the marine life in the past and present.
•    Problems that are occur because of infrastructure and development.
•    Possible ways in solving this problem by showing the real life of the marine.

Emotional statement:

In the next five years the number of Hammour population will decline due to  the overfishing issue. Hammour fish is suffering from human actions that lead to the decreased amount of Hammour reproduction. Human activities creates destruction in the marine life stability. Many other issues that affected the Hammour growth due to human actions such as the sea pollution by dumping sewage and wastes in the sea those factors that make the problem worse and help increase it. Our beliefs and religion encourages the fact of caring about the animals and the environment.
Therefore, our mission is to save the Hammour fish from extinction in order to live a sustainable marine environment with healthy productive Hammour fish.

Emotional phrases:

•    Concern of the waste in marine life
•    Species are dying
•    Species diseases that mean food poison to the people
•    No water for the next generation
•    No clean beaches for the next generation
•    Legacy of destruction
•    The perspective of the fish under the sea and how it is affected

Title suggestions:

•    Foog wo tahat or foog “o” tahat
•    The world above The truth under
•    Hammour legacy
•    Hammour

Signature image:

Hammour fish is dying

Research Results:

Comparing between past and present in order to find the solution. The past activities was more environmentally friendly whereas in the present it is more artificial and not caring about the environment.

Past overview:

In the past people cared about the environment and lived sustainable life through their daily activities. People cared about the sea and their fishing activities they considered the fish cycle and giving them the time to reproduce and increase. Wooden boats were used for fishing, pearling and trade considered safe for the environment because of its natural components.

Past marine life:

People care about the sea and nature:

• Time of fishing and pearling according to fish cycle was took under consideration.
• Understand the weather (suitable time for fishing and going to the sea).
• Boats that doesn’t harm the environment (wooden boats).
• The environment was more cleaner and healthy (healthy means fresh fish).

Keywords define past activities:

• Pearling
• Fishing
• Making  different kind of fish net
• Building boats (wooden boat)

Present overview:

Today’s new development lead us to many problems that we discovered lately. Marine life destruction is created due to human activities. Bad fishing behavior (overfishing) is causing the problem of the  decline of Hammour population which will eventually extinct if the overfishing problem was not controlled.  Another issue that causes harm to Hammour fish is the sewage and wastes dumped in the sea. Moreover, new kinds of boats engines is also affecting the marine life species.

Present marine life

People destroyed the marine life by the new projects, inventions and life style:

• Inventing the new boats that can harm the sea species and pollute it.
• Man made projects like islands (invasion of land) result in extinction of species cannot find place to live (coral reefs).

Fact:
“A UN study has found the manmade Palm Jumeirah off the coast of Dubai has created a new and complex ocean eco-system.”
“About 100 species of fish and 20 coral species have been recorded in the areas around the outward side of the breakwaters of the mega-structure, said Dr Peter Sale, assistant director of the United Nations University’s International Network on Water, Environment and Health.”
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090217/NATIONAL/9873349/1001/EDITORIALS

• Pollution problem : wastes dumped in the sea like sewage , plastic bags, garbage and oil.
• Bad fishing behavior (overfishing affect the species reproduction).

Fact:

“Stocks of hammour are declining due to overfishing off the coast of Ajman, the Ministry of Environment and Water has warned.”
“The ministry’s Water Creatures Research Centre conducted a study of around 15,000 fish in the waters of the UAE. The study was launched following concerns the fish were being caught illegally. Landing hammour is banned unless the fish are greater than 45 centimetres in length.”
“There can be a decline of up to 70 per cent of hammour population in the next five years if the current situation continues”
http://uaeinteract.com/docs/Overfishing_starts_full-scale_alert/24640.htm

keywords representing the present activities:

•    pollution
•    sewage
•    man made islands
•    waste
•    overfishing = extinction

More research result on Hammour issue:

Article: A good sense of hammour

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081211/PAGETHREE/168660196/1119

“All the world wants them,” Mohammed Marzouqi said as he priced and auctioned off a load at Mina Zayed. “The restaurants like the smaller ones because they’re so good.”

“Fisheries are under siege from fleet expansions and increased vessel-fishing power that have resulted in the over-exploitation of a substantial component of our fisheries resources,” Dr Thabit Zahran al Abdessalaam, the director of marine biodiversity at EAD, said last month at a marine symposium in Abu Dhabi.

Article: Stronger regulations to preserve hammour

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081126/NATIONAL/33362724/1105/BUSINESS

“EAD is looking for hammour spawning grounds to impose bans on fishing during their reproductive cycle, said Dr al Abdessalaam. A study is to begin early next year.

Hammour spawn in April and May. A blanket ban on all fishing during those months is not practicable because that is the most productive fishing time in the year. So any regulation will have to be site-specific, he said.”

“A study carried out in 2001-2002 showed that for the hammour, the figure was only 1.9 per cent. Data from 2005-2006 showed a slight increase to three per cent.

The improvement is a result of measures introduced by EAD which include changes in the mesh size of the gargour and an introduction of an escape panel allowing trapped fish to escape from discarded gargour. In addition, the amount of fishing licences in the emirate was curbed to 1,100, while only traditional wooden abras, rather then faster-moving speed boats, have been allowed to fish with gargour.”

Inspiration research:

Creative posters examples

Video

Interesting video about Hammour

Hammour increased number from 300 to 500

Underwater advanture

Sama Dubai News Reports on Underwater Adventures of Mejreno Team by Sultan Bin Mejren highlighting on Sperm Whale, Hammour, Grouper and Sharks.

Exploring Hammour fish under the sea

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Story. M&J Seafood offer the largest range of MSC certified products in UK foodservice.

Inspiring animation Video

Survey link:

Go to survey

Big idea:

Raising awareness about the  decline numbers of Hammour population by showing it in an interesting story, in addition supporting the idea of sustainability in the marine life. Making people awarea about that problem and guide them in ways to solve the problem.

Key Message:

•    Save marine life
•    Save the Hammour
•    Stop polluting the sea
•    Peaceful life for the Hammour fish

Campaign planning:

What?
Aware people of the marine life problem specifically “Hamoor extiction”. Why?
To stop the extinction of the Hamoor and to aware people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
Where?
When?
How?
By showing the idea through the perspective of the fish under the sea and how it is affected.

Public interaction:
posters
video
promotional items