400 Kg of Fishing Nets Removed from Marine Area off Jabal Al Sawadi

Barka: The Environment Authority in South Al Batinah Governorate, in cooperation with the Sea of Oman Diving Team and Barka Municipality, carried out a campaign to remove fishing nets and ropes entangled in the marine area surrounding Jabal Al Sawadi in the Wilayat of Barka.

The campaign was launched after a citizen reported that sea turtles had become trapped in fishing nets at the site, with some found dead.

Around 26 people participated in the campaign, including 13 divers, who removed all the fishing nets and ropes found at the site, weighing approximately 400 kilograms.

Hamoud bin Khamis Al-Nairi, Head of the Al Dimaniyat Islands Nature Reserve Centre in Al Nadab, said the centre received the report about the entangled fishing nets and the presence of dead turtles, prompting urgent coordination with the relevant authorities to remove the nets and dispose of them.

He added that diving and inspection operations revealed several dead sea turtles trapped in the nets, along with dead fish and other marine organisms, highlighting the environmental damage caused by abandoned or lost fishing gear.

The Director of the Environment Department in South Al Batinah Governorate commended the participating authorities and teams for their rapid response and efforts to remove the nets, stressing the importance of community members reporting practices and risks that threaten the environment.

The Environment Authority urged fishermen and sea users not to leave fishing nets or equipment in the marine environment and to retrieve and dispose of them properly. It also called for the immediate reporting of lost or entangled fishing gear, which poses a direct threat to turtles, fish and other marine life and threatens marine biodiversity.