Two-ton fishing nets cleared from Kuwait Bay, marine life rescued
Walid Al-Fadhel, leader of the Kuwaiti Diving Team, called for stricter penalties against fishermen who violate marine laws and regulations, as well as seafarers engaged in harmful practices.
• Special boats lifted nets containing numerous dead fish, sea creatures, and birds. Some were located in relatively deep waters, at a depth of 13 meters, while others were in shallower areas.
The Kuwaiti Diving Team, part of the Environmental Voluntary Foundation, successfully removed three abandoned fishing nets weighing around two tons from Kuwait Bay, rescuing trapped marine creatures and fish. The initiative seeks to safeguard marine life and prevent accidents in shipping lanes, Al Rai newspaper reported.
Team leader Walid Al-Fadhel told KUNA, “The team undertook this voluntary mission due to the high density of fishing nets in the area, especially since Kuwait Bay is a vital fish habitat and an important environmental site.”
Al-Fadhel added, “Special boats were prepared to lift the nets, which contained numerous dead fish, sea creatures, and birds. Some nets were located in relatively deep waters, at a depth of 13 meters, while others were in shallower areas. The team relied on the tide to retrieve them, taking into account weather conditions and sea wave height.”
The team expressed gratitude to the entities that supported this significant effort, including the Kuwait Ports Authority, the Environment Public Authority, the Kuwait Stock Exchange, the General Directorate of Coast Guard, the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fish Resources, and the marine rescue centers affiliated with the Kuwait Fire Department.
He emphasized that “these efforts are part of the global environmental campaign ‘Clean Seas’ in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for West Asia.”
He also noted that “the team’s projects, which cover Kuwait’s waters from north to south, will continue, alongside efforts to monitor and protect coral reefs on Kuwaiti islands and coasts, as well as beach clean-up campaigns in collaboration with civil society organizations to raise environmental awareness and promote volunteer work.”
Al-Fadhel commended the efforts of relevant authorities in protecting the marine environment and acknowledged the initiative of citizens who report the locations of abandoned nets for removal. He urged boat owners to report any waste or violations to the Coast Guard, the Kuwait Fire Force‘s marine rescue centers, or the Kuwait Diving Team to facilitate their removal and mitigate risks.
He also called for stricter penalties against fishermen who violate marine laws and regulations, as well as against seafarers engaging in harmful practices. This is especially crucial in Kuwait Bay, where net fishing is prohibited to preserve its diverse fish population and protect the marine environment, its creatures, and its coastline.
