Sir Bu Nair festival begins this week

Fishermen, divers and seamen will take part in a treasure hunt and various sporting, cultural, heritage and environmental activities in the three-day Sir Bu Nair Island Environmental festival, set to begin on Thursday. The festival, which has been held annually since 2000, is part of Sharjah's strategy to support environment and cultural tourism by conserving and celebrating the emirate's natural resources and treasures. It is also a revival of the old sea traditions such as pearl diving that the emirate was famous for. Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Corporation and Sharjah Media Centre, said: "Our dependence on the marine environment as a source of livelihood and adventure is evident from the Sir Bu Nair Island. Its pearl diving sites served as a source of livelihood and contributed to the national economy of the Gulf." Sir Bu Nair is located 65 kilometres off the UAE coast and is an environmentally protected area home to rare marine life. Ali Saqar Al Suwaidi, President of The Emirates Marine Environment Group (EMEG), said the island was home to the endangered hawksbill turtle, multiple species of birds and a very rich marine life. He added that there had been sightings of the rare green turtles too. Festival success Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), explained that people wait for this festival every year and that there has been an increasing number of participants every year, indicating the success of the festival. She said the festival helped raise awarness of various environmental issues such as over-fishing and shark finning. Activities at the festival will include: A treasure hunt, an environmental exhibition, a fishing competition and traditional Emirati crafts. Hana added that they will be releasing and monitoring sharks, which are found in abundance in the waters near the island. Live coverage of the festival will air on Sharjah TV and Radio.