Tons of dead sardines wash ashore on Jeddah beach

By Amr Salam
16 September 2016 JEDDAH (Saudi Gazette) – A large number of dead sardines have washed ashore the Corniche here because of sewage water thrown in the sea, according to marine experts. Several Corniche visitors expressed great concerns over the dead sardines and even captured videos and took photographs and posted them on the social media websites, warning that the problem can exasperate. They called upon pertinent authorities to step in and contain the problem before it gets out of hand. The dead sardines emitted stinky smell that even birds could not put up with. Muhammad Ahmad was fishing near Al-Nauras Square when he saw tons of dead sardines. After a while, he could not bear the stinky smell and had to leave, wondering why the sardines died. He called upon authorities to take necessary measures to protect the marine life in the Red Sea and public health. He said the dead sardines could cause serious diseases. Fikri Abdulwahab, a citizen, blamed sewage water for the problem and warned of severe environmental consequences of dumping sewage water in the sea. He said even birds could not eat the sardines because of their bad smell. Khalid Saeed, a fisherman, blamed Jeddah Municipality and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for this disaster and called upon them to take swift action. He said the general public can sue the municipality and the ministry if it was proved that they neglected their job. Ali Ishqi, an environmental expert, blamed the poison of floating marine plants for killing tons of sardine, stressing that these plants pose public health risks as well. “Getting rid of hazardous chemical waste in the sea can cause these plants to multiply and kill more marine creatures,” he warned. Nasser Al-Ahmad, an environment expert, agreed that the disposal of waste material in the sea can produce plants that kill fish and sardines, warning against the negative effect of improper environmental practices.