Dubai: The Federal National Council yesterday demanded a crystal-clear emergency plan to effectively address marine accidents and not just react to it.
Hamad Ahmad Al Rahoumi, elected from Dubai, said: "Three months on, a sunken ship [17 kilometres] off Umm Al Quwain coast has turned into a time bomb which threatens to destroy marine wildlife, water desalination plants and creeks, to mention a few."
The representative said efforts should be made to correct or eliminate the root cause of ships sinking and oil spills rather than beating around the bush and having a contingency plan to address any marine accidents.
Al Rahoumi put a question to Dr Rashid Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, on a cargo ship carrying hundreds of tonnes of diesel, which sank off the coast of Umm Al Quwain in October.
Dr Bin Fahd told the House the ship will be recovered within two weeks. In a letter, the minister told the council last month it had been coordinating with specialists from federal and local authorities to recover the ship.
A contract was signed with a specialised company to recover the ship and the situation is under control, said Dr Bin Fahd.
The case is now with the Public Prosecutor.
Al Rahoumi, general manager of the Fishermen's Cooperative Society and the owner of the first live fish-trading project in the UAE, insisted quicker action and a higher degree of preparation by the Ministry of Environment and Water were needed to solve the problem by addressing its root causes.
Dr Abdullah Al Shamsi, a member from Ajman, asked how come such an important issue for everyone in the UAE took three months to resolve.
The ship, White Whale, is said to be lying on the seabed at a depth of 35 metres, about 20km off the coast of Umm Al Quwain.
