The coastal patrols of the Border Guard in Al-Qunfudhah Governorate, Makkah Region, announced the arrest of four Egyptian residents for violating the safety and security regulations governing maritime activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's territorial waters. The arrests resulted from their fishing without the required permits, and quantities of fish caught illegally were found in their possession.
The relevant authorities confirmed that all regulatory procedures have been completed against the violators, and they have been referred to the competent authorities to apply the penalties stipulated in the system, within the framework of ongoing efforts to control maritime security and protect national resources.
The importance of adhering to fishing permits and protecting the marine environment
This operation comes within the framework of the intensive efforts undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to protect its marine environment and fish stocks, which are an integral part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objectives related to environmental sustainability. Saudi regulations emphasize the necessity of obtaining official licenses before engaging in any fishing activity, in order to ensure that fishing operations are regulated and prevent the depletion of natural resources or damage to coral reefs and the marine ecosystem of the Red Sea.
Illegal or unlicensed fishing is a practice that threatens the ecological balance. Regulatory bodies, represented by the Border Guard and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, strive to impose strict monitoring of the coasts to curb these violations. The importance of these seizures extends beyond the environmental aspect to include security, as adherence to safety regulations ensures the safety of fishermen and other sea users, and prevents any violations that might occur within territorial waters.
Call to report environmental and security violations
In closing, the General Directorate of Border Guards urged all citizens and residents to fully comply with the regulations and instructions related to protecting living aquatic resources and to adhere to maritime safety requirements. It emphasized that protecting the environment is a shared societal responsibility that requires everyone's cooperation.
The directorate also called on everyone to take the initiative to report any cases that constitute an attack on the environment or wildlife, or any violations of hunting regulations, by calling the emergency numbers:
- The number (911) is used in the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province.
- The numbers (994) , (999) and (996) are in the rest of the regions of the Kingdom.
The security authorities confirmed that all reports are handled with complete confidentiality, without any legal responsibility being imposed on the reporter, in order to encourage members of society to contribute effectively to preserving the nation’s resources and security.
