UAE destroys biodiversity in Yemen’s Socotra Island
SOCOTRA, Dec. 10 (YPA) – The UAE has been continuing to destroy biodiversity in Socotra by introducing various seedlings since its control over the Island in 2017.
Local experts familiar with the matter sad they have denounced the environmental damage caused by UAE-owned companies in Socotra by bringing thousands of agricultural seedlings into the province, which are invasive plants that threaten its unique biodiversity.
Emirati media outlets circulated reports that the agricultural sector of the UAE-owned Eastern Triangle Holding Company had launched the distribution of a new batch of agricultural seedlings of various types of vegetables and fruits in Socotra province, under the pretext of agricultural initiatives aimed at supporting food security and enhancing self-sufficiency for the island’s residents.
The sources added that these seedlings were delivered to the heads of population centers in preparation for their distribution to families interested in agriculture. The first batch included 8,000 diverse agricultural seedlings of cantaloupe, watermelon, hot and regular peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant.
This move, supported by the UAE representative Khalfan Al Mazrouei, sparked widespread resentment among local environmental experts, including the head of the Socotra Foundation for Cultural and Natural Heritage, Ahmed Al Rumaili, who cited the proverb, “Like someone selling Zamzam water in Mecca.”
“There is no doubt that those who distribute seedlings know that Socotra is a large natural garden, containing more than 800 different types of plants, including more than 100 types that are found only in Socotra in the world,” Al Rumaili added.
A field survey, posted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in September 2023, revealed a serious threat published by invasive plant species to the local economy and biodiversity on the Yemeni island of Socotra.
The survey has so far detected at least 126 exotic species on the island, most of which are imported plants for use in local agriculture or for ornamental purposes, but some insects have also reached the island.
The Socotra Archipelago, isolated from the African-Arab mainland for millions of years and located at the meeting point of several marine areas, includes a large number of endemic plants, with more than a third (37%) of Socotra’s terrestrial plant species endemic, as well as 42% of its insects, while 90% of its reptile species and 98% of its terrestrial snail species are found nowhere else in the world.
Socotra includes at least 848 different plant species, 1,670 insect species and 250 bird species. Its marine biodiversity is also impressive, with 253 species of reef-building corals, 729 species of coastal fish, and 300 species of decapod crustaceans.
AA