Campaign comes in response to buildup of waste, much of it carried by rainwater drainage outlets
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team has launched a large-scale environmental campaign to clean and rehabilitate Kuwait Bay, aiming to remove pollutants and protect the country’s marine ecosystem. The initiative focuses on clearing plastic waste, abandoned fishing nets, wooden debris and sunken vessels. Government bodies and volunteers are taking part in the effort.
Team head Waleed Al-Fadhil said the campaign was an urgent response to growing levels of waste detected in the bay. He said much of the debris had been carried into the area through rainwater drainage channels. Repeated violations have also led to the accummulation of pollutants, affecting the coastal environment. “These pollutants pose a direct threat to the unique ecosystem of Kuwait Bay,” Al-Fadhil told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
He said the team had prepared four boats, transport vehicles and bulldozers to remove debris, in addition to diving equipment, marine navigation tools and cleaning gear. Al-Fadhil said the timing of the campaign was critical, with spring approaching. Kuwait Bay, he noted, is a global stopover for thousands of migratory birds and one of the region’s most important natural incubators for fish and shrimp eggs. “Protecting its cleanliness is essential for food security and environmental balance,” he said.
He added that the team, working with the Jahra Natural Reserve Administration under the Environment Public Authority, had already removed large quantities of abandoned fishing nets and plastic waste from the reserve’s coastline. Tons of debris were also cleared from the shores of Ashirij and Doha. The next phase of the plan will include intensive cleanup operations at Umm Al-Namil Island, Subiya, the coasts of the Kuwait Free Trade Zone and the coast near the Sabah Health Region, Al-Fadhil said.
He called on citizens and residents to report any observed environmental violations. Al-Fadhil also urged sea-goers and nature enthusiasts to protect wildlife and avoid disturbing migratory birds at their resting sites.
He warned against the use of prohibited fishing nets that turn into “ghost nets,” which continue to trap marine life and damage the seabed for years. He also called for urgent action to remove abandoned vessels anchored in the Ashirij area, saying they mar the area’s appearance, obstruct navigation, damage coastal soil and cause pollution. Al-Fadhil thanked the government agencies supporting the campaign, saying that coordinated institutional and community efforts are the only way to preserve Kuwait Bay as a national environmental legacy for future generations. — KUNA
