Kuwait cares for wildlife, marine habitats

KUWAIT CITY, June 8: The Kuwait Dive Team (KDT), affiliated with the Environmental Voluntary Foundation, reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the country’s marine environment on World Oceans Day, observed annually on June 8. The team marked the occasion through a series of coastal cleanup campaigns and environmental initiatives carried out in cooperation with the Environment Public Authority (EPA).

Team leader Waleed Al-Fadhel told KUNA that the activities form part of the team’s ongoing efforts to protect wildlife and marine ecosystems and support this year’s World Oceans Day theme, “Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet.” He said the initiatives included cleaning beaches, removing harmful waste and abandoned fishing nets from key marine locations, and collecting more than five tons of dead fish. Al-Fadhel noted that the team responded to an environmental report at Al-Bidaa beach, where divers removed large quantities of dead small fish from the shoreline, helping prevent foul odors, protect beachgoers, and reduce environmental risks associated with decomposition.

He added that the team also carried out a cleanup operation at Fahaheel Marina, removing abandoned fishing nets, large plastic debris, ropes, and wood that posed hazards to marine life and obstructed boat movement. The campaign further extended to Kuwait Bay, a vital natural habitat for fish and marine species in the Arabian Gulf. In cooperation with the Jahra Reserve administration of the EPA, the team removed significant amounts of plastic waste and discarded fishing nets from the reserve’s coastline to help protect migratory birds. Al-Fadhel stressed that protecting Kuwait’s marine environment requires joint efforts from government agencies, the private sector, fishermen, and sea-goers. He called for responsible environmental practices, including proper waste disposal and adherence to fishing regulations, to ensure the sustainability of marine resources for future generations. (KUNA)