By Amena Bakr
DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is considering restricting the sale of hamoor, one of the most popular fish in the Gulf region, to prevent its extinction, an environment ministry official said Tuesday.
A report by the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) -- part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization -- described the fish as an "over-exploited stock" and said around 3,072 metric tons of hamoor were caught in the UAE in 2007.
Abdulrazzaq Anwahi, fisheries adviser at the UAE's Ministry of Environment and Water said it is analyzing the extent of damage to the ecosystem and could ban the sale of hamoor less than 45-50 centimeters (18-20 inches) long.
The ministry was also studying the condition of 15 other types of fish that it believes could be endangered, he said.
"If the local fishermen don't stop catching the young hamoor, the entire species will be soon extinct," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a fisheries conference in Dubai.
Last year the ministry began a campaign to restock hamoor which resulted in the production of 23,000 young fish.
"And we will continue this campaign throughout this year to increase the volume of this very commercial fish," he added.
The Gulf region is facing growing environmental strains such as a falling water table and expanding population.
(Editing by Dominic Evans)