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Dead fish increase pollution concerns |
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Wednesday, 27 October 2010 00:45 |
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KUWAIT: A large number of dead fish discovered in the waters off Julaiah and Khairan indicate that the marine pollution problems in Kuwait's offshore waters are worsening
, according to a local environmentalist. The environmental activist, who spoke to Al-Rai on condition of anonymity, said that the fish were killed by the presence of sizeable amounts of toxic petroleum waste in the coastal waters, claiming that this was caused by the dumping of large numbers of plastic pellets by several local firms. He also stated that this reckless toxic waste disposal had been ongoing for almost two years with no action being taken to stop the companies doing so. The environmental activist, who explained that he had been fishing for years on the beaches near the area where the dead fish were discovered, said that he decided to act after noting the steadily worsening pollution and waste dumping both on the beaches themselves and in the Gulf, and the immense damage that these had caused to the marine life in the area. He appealed to the country's environmental protection bodies to take prompt measures to ensure that Kuwait's coastal waters are treated and that the po llution is minimized so that this problem is not allowed to escalate further. One environmental expert, Dr Ali Khuraibet, explained that the chemical substances found in Kuwait's coastal waters are extremely hazardous to marine life as they are passed down through the food cycle, adding that their long-term effects are extremely serious. - Kuwait Times
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