Hundreds of stingray were found lying dead on Seeb beach in Oman, prompting a reaction from locals on the mistreatment of marine life and the harmful practice of waste.
“This is not the first time fishermen have dumped stingrays on the beach. They did it last year and also in 2018,” Ibrahim Al Shamsi, a member of the Oman Sustainability centre (OSC), told The National.
“It seems they do this regularly.”
A video showing more than a dozen dead honeycomb stingrays on Seeb beach in Muscat has started a social media conversation with many Omanis urging the government to punish offenders.
Muscat municipality cleaned up the beach soon after the video was shared.
A social media user urged the police to take a stronger stand and regularly patrol the beach to arrest offenders.
“We don’t see any fishermen being arrested and that’s why they continue dumping the stingray fish,” one social media user wrote in a Whatsapp message.
“We want the police to patrol the beach and punish the offenders either by fining them or send them to court for prosecution.”
Fishermen try to justify their actions by saying that there is no market for stingrays.
“We don’t fish them, they just get caught in our nets. We dump the stingray fish because it is a waste of time trying to sell them,” said Salim Al Amri, a fishermen from Seeb.
“There is no market for them because nobody buys them. So why should we waste our time putting them back into the water?”
Some say it is not just wasting food resources, but the act will lead to overfishing of stingrays and reduce their growth.
“Stingray fish are edible but these fishermen are afraid to touch them and they just throw them on the beach because of their sting,” another social media user said.
“We see hundreds of them being dumped on the beach every month and that will severely reduce its stock in our waters if this practice continues any longer.”
Omanis say they do not eat stingray because the sting in its tail is poisonous and spreads to the body.
“Many Omanis believe that a stingray [poison] is not only contained in the tail but it is spread in its entire body. They don’t eat it just to stay on the safe side,” Mohammed Al Araimi, an Omani citizen, explained to a European social media user on a Facebook page.
Waste experts say that fishermen need to be educated on waste management and preserving food.
“We cannot just arrest them, but first let’s educate them about waste management. We also need to educate the general public that stingray fish are a delicacy and all they need to do is remove the tail,” Mr Al Shamsi said.
The Omani government set up OSC last March to stop waste and work towards the gulf country's net-zero carbon emissions goal, to be achieved by 2050, which includes recycling natural resources, such as food, energy and minerals.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Honeymoonish
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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More on animal trafficking
EXPATS
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
