Dubai The Coast Guard has found thousands of dead tuna floating in the waters west of Dubai Monday.
Initial investigation suggests that banned fishing methods could be responsible for the incident.
Major General Mohammad Al Merri, chairman of the fishermen's cooperative association of Dubai, said that the Ministry of Environment and Water and Dubai Municipality are investigating the incident.
'New fishing techniques'
Al Merri said the investigation would reveal how the fish died, adding that it could have been a result of new fishing techniques carried out by special boats, of which six are believed to be in Dubai and two in Sharjah.
Al Merri explained that some inexperienced crew had tried this method, which could have resulted in a huge fish catch that exceeded the boat's capacity. He added that tuna die if they are unable to move in water for more than two minutes.
Environmental cause
He said that an environmental reason may have resulted in the death of the fish, and added that only tests could confirm the exact cause.
If not for the fast winds currently sweeping over the UAE and strong sea currents, which drove fish away from Dubai's coast, the incident may have been aggravated. If the fish had been washed onto the shores, it would have caused a greater environmental problem.
Al Merri added that those responsible also failed to notify authorities in time for them to contain the issue before it posed a serious threat to the environment.
