The Red Sea Reserves Authority, in cooperation with HEPCA and the tourism administration of the Red Sea Governorate, has launched a campaign to protect dolphins in the Shoab al-Fanous area, according to Egypt Independent .
Described as a "chase and inspection" campaign, the project targets tourist boats that commit environmental violations against dolphins off the coast in the Red Sea.
NGOs have repeatedly claimed that water sport operators in Egypt's Red Sea are threatening the dolphins' lives, disturbing them and forcing them to migrate to other areas with their young.
The director of the Red Sea Reserves Authority, Yasser Saeed, said that the campaign's committee had reported six environmental violations by boat crews after inspecting the Al-Fanous area.
Official complaints have been filed against the boat owners for directly threatening groups of dolphins in the extremely environmentally sensitive area by chasing and disturbing them, and not abiding by the environmental regulations imposed on the area.
HEPCA is an internationally recognized organization that specializes in the field of marine and land conservation. In 2012, HEPCA conducted the first ever research project completely dedicated to the study of dolphins and whales in Egypt's Red Sea.
The Red Sea Dolphin Project was part of the wider Sustainable Development of the Southern Egyptian Red Sea program, which funded by the Italian Cooperation through Debt Swap program and implemented by HEPCA.
Dolphins and whales are both a common sight in the Red Sea and are considered one of the area's best tourist attractions.
Among the eight species considered regular in the Red Sea are the common bottlenose, the Indopacific bottlenose, the spinner and Risso’s dolphin.