Unexplained phenomenon wipes out Kuwait fish

More than 2,000 tonnes of dead fish have been washed ashore in Kuwait in a yet unexplained, month-long phenomenon that has left a bustling fish market deserted and thousands out of work.

Contradictory statements by the government and officials on the cause have triggered angry criticism and various organisations in the state have been accused of contaminating Gulf waters off Kuwait.

Experts say the loss so far is equivalent to four years of Kuwait's annual consumption of fish - a main staple in the state which boasts a heritage as a seafaring nation.

The extent of the disaster has prompted a call for a special session of parliament which is on summer recess. Kuwait's ruler, Emir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has met officials investigating the cause.

"We have been on land for more than a month...I don't have any money and have eight children to support back home," Egyptian fisherman Massoud Omar told Reuters.

Some 4,000 fishermen - mainly from Egypt, Bangladesh and India - work in Kuwait where 1.4 million of the 2.2 million population are foreigners.

"I can't eat or drink and nobody is helping me except God," said 34-year-old Omar whose home in Kuwait is a small fishing boat.

Earlier this month, the government, under public pressure, banned fishing. It later deployed the military to help clean up millions of dead fish from the shoreline as the stench from their rotting bodies spread.

Hundreds of dhows - traditional wooden vessels used in the Gulf - and small fishing boats are anchored near the fish market in Kuwait City in the hope that the ban will be lifted soon.

"But who wants to eat Kuwaiti fish. Not even if they export it, will they find customers," said a Kuwaiti professional, adding that Kuwaitis were bringing in fish from Saudi Arabia.

No dead fish have been detected on the Arab side of the Gulf, a strong indication, experts say, that the cause is man-made and originates in Kuwait.

Mustafa Ismail, who supports a large family back in Egypt, said fellow fishermen are "waiting for the government to give us the green light to resume fishing. It is a great loss, we used to make about 250-300 Kuwaiti dinars ($800-950) a day...".

"We need someone to help us, we are only eating once a day. I want to know if I can go back to work, if not I want to return home...that is if I can afford the ticket...," said Egyptian Sayyed Bader.

The government has sent samples of dead fish abroad for analysis and launched several investigations into the cause. Official explanations have so far been met with public ridicule.

Asked when to expect a final result, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Sharar told Reuters on Tuesday: "Results are with scientists and they are studying the phenomenon...it is difficult to know when they will present their final reports".

Officials said streptococcus bacteria off Kuwait City was behind the disaster but its origin had yet to be identified.

Some experts and newspapers in Kuwait have blamed alleged pumping of raw sewage into the Gulf. Others said waste from the oil industry was the cause, while one scientist suggested extreme summer heat in August killed the fish.

"We have lost around 2,300 tonnes of fish until now...some fish are still dying but not in as big quantities as before," Sheikh Fahd Al Salem Al Ali Al Sabah, chairman and director general of Kuwait's Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, told Reuters.

"Kuwait's fish consumption is around 600-650 tonnes a year, and with this crisis we have already lost more than four years of consumption," said Sheikh Fahd Al Salem.

Prior to the oil boom in the 1970s, pearl diving and fishing were main sources of income for Kuwaitis who now enjoy one of the world's highest standards of living.

Kuwait's once-thriving shrimp season, which usually starts in September, has been put on hold.

"We were supposed to start the season but it is now banned ...it is a big loss as we used to earn between 8,000 and 10,000 dinars a month," said one shrimp fisherman, referring to the popular Gulf jumbo shrimps which are also exported.

Sheikh Fahd Al Salem said there was no ban on shrimp fishing, adding: "It is just a postponement of the start of the season to take precautions in case shrimps were infected."

He said the Health Ministry is testing shrimps daily and if the results show that there is no danger to humans "we will reconsider this postponement".