The Parrotfish Festival on Farasan Islands is not just an occasion when the local people fish but an event so eagerly awaited by couples to tie the knot. During the festival tourists from all over the Kingdom flock to the islands to celebrate its diverse marine life. However, due to the volatile security situation in the south coupled with a lack of attention by the concerned authorities, the festival has failed to attract a large number of tourists over the past two years, Al-Jazirah daily reports. Ibrahim Moftah is a historian from the islands who spoke extensively about the colorful parrotfish and why they are a local delicacy. "Parrotfish, as a species, have a lot of white meat which is tasty, especially if grilled. It is difficult to catch parrotfish because they hide between coral reefs. They gather in large schools around the islands on a certain day of the year, usually around the end of March. It is a big day for people here," Moftah explained. The festival begins in the early hours of the morning much before the Fajr prayer with people gathering at Hasees Beach where large shoals of the fish appear. People usually cut bushes and use them to erect a meter-and-a-half high fence around the area where parrotfish tend to swim. Then they throw a net to catch the fish and the chief fisher screams "Aldhwainy" or "Attack". This is when people, young and old, run to the area to catch as many fish as they can. Moftah said previous years saw the emir of the region sponsor and attend the festival but he has not offered any support in the past two years, something many locals believe has contributed to the festival's declining popularity among tourists. Journalist Ali Al-Matabi acknowledged that the festival has seen its popularity dip but he questioned if the decline has more to do with a lack of activities than the security situation in the region. "We all know that monotony can kill enthusiasm and it seems the organizers have missed this point. Even the media seems to be no longer interested in covering the festival. This is an important festival and deserves to receive special coverage because it adds to the value of the islands," he said. Rustum Al-Kebaisi, director of the Jazan branch of the Saudi Commission of Tourism and National Heritage, said the festival received extensive media coverage but the problem was a lack of tourists and locals in attendance. He also suggested the volatile security situation in the region had taken its toll on attendance, noting that the emir of Jazan would attend the festival again once the security situation improves.
