Dubai goes fishing at Al Dhafra Grand Kingfish Championship for Men and Women

The Committee for the Management of Cultural and Heritage Festivals and Programmes in Abu Dhabi has announced the 3rd round of the 2nd edition of Al Dhafra Grand Kingfish Championship for Men and Women, will take place from 17th-26th March at the Mughirah beach - Al Mirfa city in Al Dhafra region as part of the Kingfish Fishing Season in Abu Dhabi.

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, Al Dhafra Grand Kingfish Championship includes three rounds: the Dalma, the Al Mughirah and the Al Dhafra.

A total of 20 prizes worth AED920,000 are allocated to the 3rd round of the grand competition, with 10 prizes for men and 10 prizes for women. The first-place winner in each category will get a total of AED120,000; with the 2nd place winner to get AED80,000; AED60,000 for 3rd place; AED50,000 for the 4th; AED40,000 for 5th place; AED30,000 for the 6th; and AED20,000 for each of the winners of the 7th, 8th,9th and 10th places.

Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, Director of Planning and Projects Department of the Committee, said,

"The first and second rounds of the Al Dhafra Grand Kingfish Championship in Dalma and Al Mughirah saw the participation of 1,046 contestants of different nationalities, 970 of whom are men and 76 women."

"The championship aims to promote the coasts and islands of Al Dhafra Region. The event creates a valuable opportunity for traditional sport fishing amateurs to participate in such championships and encourages sportsmanship, while reviving fishing as a hobby, contributing to maritime safety, regulating kingfish hunting, and preserving traditional competitions that perpetuate the UAE heritage," he added, noting that the championship is open to UAE nationals, residents and visitors from different cities of the country.

The only fishing method allowed at the Championship is trolling, as per the guidelines of the championship’s organising committee, while fishing by all kinds of weaving is not allowed, including hayla, brassim, nylon, marine pistol, manshla or poi and all other means.

The championship will adhere strictly to security and safety protocols in place in line with the laws and regulations set by the Abu Dhabi Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority, and the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi. Championship terms and conditions include shooting a video of the contestant's action – starting with catching the fish and ending with taking its weight (minimum fish weight is 25kg for men and 15kg for women).

The fishing video should be of a high quality, unedited and shot aboard the boat. It should record the entire fishing process, starting from the moment of catching the fish going all the way down to the moment of weighing it. The boat’s circumference should be clearly displayed without using the zoom option. Should the video be interrupted or lack focus on the caught fish, the participant will be disqualified. The participating videos must be uploaded to Instagram under the hashtag #ourheritage and include the participant's name, date of catch and time. Videos can be sent via WhatsApp or delivered directly on USB or any other appropriate format, to the Committee’s office on site of the festival.

A 360-degree surround video must be shot by the participants prior to loading the fish to the boat. During the shooting process, the participants’ numbers, full names, date and time should be clear in addition to explicitly showing the scales at 0kg and the fish aboard the boat prior to weighing it. Any videos that fail to comply with the competition’s requirements will be disqualified.

News Source: Emirates News Agency