Dubai Police open centre to combat marine pollution

Dubai:" Weak response from the authorities concerned with oil leaks and marine pollution prompted Dubai Police to establish a centre to combat marine pollution under its jurisdiction, said the Chief of Dubai Police.

"Dubai Police didn't find a strong response from the authorities concerned to fight accidents that resulted in polluting marine life. So we decided to form a sophisticated centre and get a ship to handle such cases," said Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim while officially opening the centre at Rashid Port.

Dubai shores were estimated to be around 72km and now it occupies over 1,500km, he said while adding that more collaborated efforts are required to protect marine life.

The ship for marine pollution control is named ‘Yaazi 1', which means ‘fully equipped', the word previously referring to traditional fishing and pearl diving boats.

According to Lt Gen Dahi, Dubai Police was able to take advantage of some machinery stored in a warehouse at Port Rashid from the 1980s as they were not being put to proper use.

He pointed out that the Dubai Executive Council had issued a decree (number 22) for the year 2006 and a resolution (number 14) for the year 2006 to form a crisis management team headed by the chief of Dubai Police that would act in coordination with the authorities concerned at the state level. Maj Gen Dr Jasem Mohammad Bel Rumaitha, Director of Dubai Police Operations, said the Dubai sea coast occupies a great deal of its geographical area and it is an important tourist landmark.

According to him, the boat's equipment can limit the spread of marine pollutants left behind by ships like oil spills that are hazardous to marine life. The Dubai Police's centre to control marine pollution will have three main sections: operations, planning and training, and maintenance.

The training for the staff of the centre began in April 2008, said First Lieutenant Mohammad Mattar Al Jumairi, Acting Director of the Centre for Marine Pollution Control.