AL-QATIF — Environmental pollution in Saihat Village killed thousands of fish while harming the marine ecosystem and the fishermen's income, Al-Hayat reported.
Eastern Province Fishermen Society Deputy Head Jafar Al-Safwani said a large amount of dead fish was found on Al-Naseem Corniche.
“Al-Naseem Corniche is a closed area of 800 sq. meters only. There are only about 10 openings to the Arabian Gulf in which water and fish can enter. Many fish populate in the area. Not even the plants and trees on the shore are getting enough water to grow, so they end up dying,” said Al-Safwani. He added the summer season evaporates the water making the water in the area depleting the water volume and killing many fishes.
“The area is almost like a lake. The fishermen in the Eastern Province had demanded the authorities to open more channels and entrances from the gulf into the lake about nine years ago. However, no one responded to the fishermen and nothing has been done regarding the issue since,” said Al-Safwani.
He added he demanded experts to inspect the fish and prevent them from being sold in the markets to protect the consumer. “I am not sure if these fish are fit for humans consumption. Experts need to get involved to assess the situation. Such an incident is recurrent to rocky shores, although this is the first time fish have been found dead in that area,” said Al-Safwani. He added many fishermen complained about the incident and others have gathered the fish out of the lake to clean it.
“Many fishermen wonder why so many fish were in the lake to begin with. Some said the summer heat drives them away from the open water and closer to the shore as they seek a cooler environment to settle in or they were seeking more oxygen,” said Al-Safwani.
An environmental expert said the fishermen in that area reported seeing red spots in the lake. “The dead fish sighted on Thursday died due to environmental pollution. There have been chemical substances and other types of waste such as cleaning detergents dumped into the lake through the sewage system. Although the act is illegal, it still happened harming the fish and the fishermen,” said the expert.
