Fujairah coast hit by oil slick again

The oil spill has drifted ashore, bringing fishing activities along the coast to a standstill.

Mohammed Rashid, a fisherman from Qidfa, said he was shocked to notice a thick film of oil floating in a large area in the sea.

An oil slick was reported in the same area three days ago and the municipality had cleared the area, he said.

Source of concern

"This is a source of concern to fishermen as it threatens our livelihood," he said, demanding the authorities concerned to act swiftly not only to clear the area but also to deter ships passing through the UAE waters from dumping oil into the sea," he said.

Oil tankers or cargo ships, he said, clean their petrol tanks for refuelling and throw wastes in the region's waters which drift ashore due to strong waves.

Ali Qasim, Head of the Environment Section at the Fujairah Municipality, said, "As soon as we received the alert, a team of experts moved to the polluted area and cleaned it. This is not the first time such an incident has been noticed," he added.

This is the work of passing ships, he said and called for round-the-clock surveillance to deter the ships from harming the environment.