Lebanese green group: Oil slick perhaps not as bad as feared
Shellfish and baby turtles have been badly hit but larger fish have survived virtually unscathed.
By ReutersThe impact on marine life of an oil slick off the Lebanese coast, caused by Israel's bombing of a power plant, might not be as devastating as had been feared, a Lebanese environmentalist group said on Friday.
Shellfish, fish larvae and baby turtles have been badly hit but larger fish have survived virtually unscathed, the group, Bahr Loubnan (Lebanon's Sea), said.
It said it was not trying to play down the impact of the slick, which it described as dire, but rather to inject a dose of realism into the debate over how to tackle it.
"This is not the Red Sea. We don't have corals here, we don't have sponges," said group member Mohamad al-Sarji, a professional scuba diver who led a team of divers in an assessment of the polluted Lebanese coastline this month.
"Even the fisheries are very limited in Lebanon -- the amount of fish found in the sea," he told reporters. "The way this slick has been reported in the media does not reflect the accuracy of the situation."
The slick was caused by Israel's bombardment of a power plant in southern Lebanon last month during its war with Hezbollah guerrillas. It has spewed around 15,000 tons of heavy fuel oil along a 140-km (87-mile) stretch of the coast.
Some environmentalists have said the oil could kill large fish and even dolphins, but Bahr Loubnan said that was unlikely.
"People don't seem to want to look into the scientific aspects of this," said Manal Nader, a group member and director of the institute of the environment at Balamand University in northern Lebanon.
"The impact on fish larvae and immature fish is quite extensive because they live close to the shoreline, but big fish migrate to deeper waters where the oil is not mixing."
Sarji, whose scuba team inspected 10 sites between the southern port of Sidon and the northern city of Tripoli, said the impact on marine life would have been worse had the slick occurred in winter, when the eastern Mediterranean can be choppy.
"We've got around three months before storms start churning up the waters," he said. "It's essential we start cleaning it up as soon as we can."
Bahr Loubnan said it was safe to eat Lebanese fish.
"Most people see sand covered in oil and assume the sea is ruined and the fish are not edible," Sarji said. "But the ministry of agriculture has been dissecting fish since the disaster and found no evidence of pollution."
He also said the Israeli blockade of Lebanon's coastline, imposed in mid-July at the start of the war and still in place, had had at least one positive side effect, even though it had made life tough for Lebanese fishermen.
"The sea has been protected from fishing for over a month now," he said. "When the blockade is eventually lifted and our fishermen can fish again, I'm confident they will find bigger and better fish than before."
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Ruven, there might be dispute about the extent of the oil slick's damage, but the slick was quite real. Why do you have to think it is a falsehood?
Thats it.
Its just an article .. Not EVERYTHING in life that has connection to the Middle East is motivated by the single issue of "West" verses "Arab World". I would even go further than to say THANK G-D FOR THAT! From a personal point of view, I still follow the marine affects of Sunami on the coral life .. Do you think it crosses my mind to feel better because is was an "act of "G-d"? Consider that there are people who just find knowledge of all sorts of subjects worth while knowing .. and personally I believe it is more worthwhile knowing them! I am most upset for the baby turtles and interesting to know that for future reference how to deal with the problem .. That was all. Your comment is based on one line "one good thing that the Israeli blockade is". It was not said as a gratitude to us. It was a quote by a person of a character I admire. I took it exactly as he said it; it was fortunate at least for that! He looked on the only "bright side" he could find!
"Thanks Israel to show us the way ?." - hussein Just before it's inception, the as yet unproclaimed Israel had several militias. There was the big one, and the one with responsible leadership, the Haganah; and there were several small ones, which were little more than private armies of terrorists and thugs. With both a carrot and a stick, they were integrated into the Haganah, where with superior leadership they became valuable to the national purpose instead of the purpose of their individual leaders. Lebanon needs Hizbollah because they fight well. Lebanon also needs Hisbollah as part of it's armed forces where it will not be subject to the whim of a single man.
I can see lots of reasons for this article. One I alluded to in my first post. Lebanon needs tourists and tourists like beaches. Another is it is a 'feel good' article for Israelis. The Palestinian Jews and early Israelis were very much conservationists. An environmental disaster is not the sort of thing even modern Israelis seem to enjoy. That the consequences might not be as bad as first reported, is welcomed. "I am sure that on the next war, Israel will redo the same actions and perhaps more, who knows, we have to wait until the second round ." - hussein Lebanon must understand that it must be united, and build it's army up into one which can deter Israel. I am not a 'fan' of military force, but it has it's uses. Israel started in a tough neighborhood. So it got tough fast. Take note. I hope your Mr. Siniora pursues his push for a peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon. They have worked for Egypt and Jordan - as well as Israel.
I never though I'd see the day when the news is not dominated by US media and gov't talking heads blabbing about the *even-handed* US role in some new Israeli manfactured Middle-East crisis, but rather dominated by EU Foreign Ministers talking about sending 1000s for their soldiers to sit on the Lebanese border!; plus help rebuild, clear left over Israeli cluster bomblets, etc. Let's hope this is but the first minor step in containment of US/Israel disasterous Neoconservative policies and actions. But let's all give credit where credit is due and thank the one group mostly responsible, THANK YOU IDF, in your failure we see the first glimmer of hope in decades.
When will the world stop believing their lies- EHEN THEY'RE FIRST TOLD?
What is the point of this article, that mean I have to be happy that Israel done a small catastrophe in Lebanon, or you are trying to give yourself a good conscience. What about the damage in other sector because of this catastrophe, what about tourism in Lebanon I am sure that on the next war, Israel will redo the same actions and perhaps more, who knows, we have to wait until the second round Thanks Israel to show us the way ?.
The Lebanese are making happy faces in the oil stained sands. . . Tourists, please return!