DAMMAM, 25 April 2003 — A source at the Ministry of Water has denied allegations linking the deaths of fish along the Arabian Gulf coast and sewage water discharge operations.
Abdul Rahman Al-Mana, director general of the Ministry of Water in the Eastern Province, said there were no indications that the discovery of tons of dead fish was caused by sewage discharge. He noted that sewage water is processed twice and can be used for agricultural purposes and that this had been going on for almost 20 years. Al-Mana’s statement was made after studies by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) which blamed the fish deaths on organic pollution from sewage discharge. Al-Mana believes that an oil spill in the northern Gulf caused the death of the fish because of possible discharges from warships in the area. Earlier the Head of the Presidency for Meteorological and Environment Protection expressed his concern about the effect the war in Iraq could have on marine life in the Arabian Gulf.
Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Sowailim, marine studies and fish unit manager at KFUPM, called for effective solutions to the problems. He also called for a triple processing of sewage water designed to reduce organic matter and leave marine life unaffected. He urged the relevant departments, especially the ministries of agriculture and water, to stop disposing of sewage water and waste into waters around Tarout Island in the Gulf near Dammam.
Dr. Asad Al-Dokair, head of the Chemistry Department at KFUPM, said the dumping of sewage water and waste into the sea had negative influences on marine life and resources and the recent deaths of tons of fish may be an indication of that. He suggested sterilizing sewage water with chlorine before dumping it into the sea; this would rid the waste of both viruses and bacteria.
The fish market in the Eastern Province is understandably uneasy about the incident and consumers fear that it may be used to further increase the price of fish.
