Last Update: 14 August 2007

Advocacy Issues

HEPCA is committed to lobbying for changes to existing legislation and the introduction of new legislation to protect our environment. The fight for Giftun, the decree banning shark fishing and shark meat are both advocacy campaigns that have been led by HEPCA. In a five year period, HEPCA has succeeded in changing over 32 laws, articles and decrees. These include the designation of many reefs and islands throughout the Red Sea as protected areas.

In May 2007, HEPCA succeeded in obtaining a new decree from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to nullify a previous decree that allowed the fishing and exporting of colored reef fish to Europe and other international markets. HEPCA had launched a huge campaign and lobbied with other agencies, enthusiastic individuals, and major media representatives for this revision to the law.

Such achievements show that big changes can occur when we work together. HEPCA is concerned with the bigger picture - changing the root cause of problems rather than attacking individual operators, in this case, fishermen. We are currently fighting numerous advocacy cases in the hope for achieving positive change.