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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
