A new environmental research study conducted by the British Center for Environmental Sciences, Fisheries and Aquaculture (CEFAS), in cooperation with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, has found that fish in Kuwait’s waters are found to be contaminated with a high percentage of microplastics that arise from pollution of the marine environment.
Warning about the dangers of increasing plastic waste in Kuwait Bay and in waters along Kuwait’ coast, British expert and the environmental attaché at the British Embassy in Kuwait, Rachel Mulholland, said that the marine pollution had an impact not only on marine life but also on the lives of consumers of these marine products.
She went on to add that samples taken from eight types of fish popular with consumers in Kuwait, such as the grouper, zubaidi, naqrour, shim, mead, shrimp, crabs, along with other marine organisms, showed the presence of significant quantities of microplastics in their digestive tracts.
Plastic waste takes a long time to decompose, which is a global problem, as plastic bottles take more than 450 years to decompose, which greatly threatens the marine environment, said the marine expert. She added that a lot of plastic waste, which comes from human waste on beaches or boats, ends up in the seas and oceans, where it affects the fishes, turtles and birds that feed on them and the toxic substances that make up plastic lead to the death of these creatures.
Noting that a previous study had shown that one fish in the waters of the Gulf contains around 20 plastic particles, and this quantity increases significantly in the seas and oceans, Ms. Mulholland said that 75 percent of the dead turtles in the waters of the Arabian Gulf were found to have fed on toxic plastic particles.
Highlighting the importance of including environmental protection and preservation courses in school curriculum to inculcate these values among youth, the British marine expert said the British CEFAS is cooperating with several Kuwaiti institutions and authorities concerned with the environment, including the Environment Public Authority and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, in addition to working with the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which is based in Kuwait.
“We are currently working on knowing the sources of plastic particles and monitoring their expansion and finding appropriate strategies to reduce plastic waste, and protect the marine environment from human threats and encroachments,” said Ms. Mulholland. She also indicated that the local waters Kuwaiti waters are the hottest and warmest, as the sea water temperature rises twice the global average, which affects the marine environment greatly, in addition to oil spills, sewage, industrial effluents and wrong human practices as a result of dumping waste on the beaches.
She noted that the United Nations Environment Program is working with member states from all over the world, including Kuwait, to develop an international legally binding instrument on reducing plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, by 2024.
She concluded by saying, “All of this does not mean that we should avoid eating fish, as seafood is a major component of the daily protein intake of the local population and residents of the Arab Gulf community, with an estimated average consumption rate of 109 grams per day per person.”
