Fishermen join dumping fight

FUJAIRAH // Fishermen concerned about oil spills off the Fujairah coast are trying to catch ships dumping waste illegally. The fishermen have photographed suspect vessels in an attempt to spur the authorities to take legal action against polluters. A new oil slick emerged on Fujairah's beaches yesterday, producing a layer of pungent-smelling sludge extending from hundreds of metres offshore to the coastline. The fishermen gave the authorities a set of photographs taken on Friday, which they claim shows a ship illegally dumping large amounts of oil for nearly an hour. Officials from Fujairah Municipality said they were aggressively pursuing the case. Mohammed al Afham, the municipality's general manager, said the city would do "whatever is necessary to find out who did this". "We will not hesitate to use the law to protect our coast and our environment," he said. Environmentalists say the frequent oil slicks off Fujairah's coast are damaging the area's delicate marine life, while hoteliers and sport and commercial fishermen complain that oil-blighted waters are costing them business. "The official bodies are taking this incident very seriously as this is seriously affecting the tourism industry," said Patrick Antaki, general manager of Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort. The substance coming from the boat has not been identified. Independent experts said it was most likely excess crude oil or engine fuel mixed with water that the boat operators dumped rather than discharging it legally at proper disposal facilities. The photos were taken by several fishermen, who requested anonymity, and sent to The National. The fishermen complained that in spite of their efforts to help the Port of Fujairah and Coast Guard catch the polluters, authorities had shown insufficient interest until now. "The photo just shows how these ships do this in broad daylight," one of the fishermen said. Port of Fujairah officials could not be reached for comment. According to Fujairah's shipping industry regulations, people or ships that cause pollution near the Port of Fujairah or adjacent coastline can be fined Dh35,000 (US$9,528) and held responsible for clean-up charges and damage to life and property. Authorities have yet to prosecute any violators. They have long complained that ships illegally releasing oil and waste have eluded them by dumping at night or just beyond their jurisdiction. Fujairah relies on a skeletal monitoring system, with only a few patrol boats and one space satellite that it shares with other Gulf states, making enforcement even more difficult. There has been scant documentation of vessels caught illegally releasing effluent off the coast of the emirate, which is host to the world's second-largest refuelling port and services as many as 200 vessels at a time. The photos show the vessel's name and its registration number. According to ship registration records obtained by The National, the suspect vessel is an oil tanker managed by a company based in Saudi Arabia. The company could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. Hoteliers and residents think the suspect vessel produced the slick that washed up on the beaches of several resort hotels on Sunday morning, including Le Méridien. "I assume this slick is from the boat in question because coincidence would be a bit much," said Mr Antaki. Staff from his and other hotels temporarily closed their beaches on Sunday to clean up the slick. Such measures usually cost tens of thousands of dirhams in expenses and lost business. Because ships have not been fined for dumping, it is understood that it is cheaper and easier for vessels to discharge effluent into the ocean than dispose of it at waste-treatment facilities at the Port of Fujairah. hnaylor@thenational.ae