MUSCAT: The campaign is a part of the Environment Department’s ongoing efforts to protect the marine environment, preserve its natural resources, and enhance biodiversity sustainability.
It falls within the department’s programmes aimed at reducing the environmental impacts resulting from abandoned or lost nets, which continue to catch marine life indiscriminately and inflict damage on coral reefs, thereby affecting fish stocks, ecological balance, and the sustainability of natural resources.
Abdulwahid Hassan Al Kumzari, Head of the Environmental Inspection Section at the Environment Department in Musandam Governorate, said that the campaign falls within the continuous efforts carried out by the Department to safeguard marine ecosystems and protect coral reefs. He pointed out that removing snagged fishing nets represents one of the crucial measures to reduce risks facing marine creatures, enhance the sustainability of fish stocks, and preserve biodiversity and marine habitats.
He added that coral reefs in Musandam Governorate are among the most prominent marine ecosystems, owing to their role as natural habitats for a vast number of marine organisms, their function in supporting biodiversity and protecting coastlines, as well as their contribution to providing suitable environments for the breeding and growth of numerous economically important fish species.
He noted that Musandam Governorate is characterized by its unique marine biodiversity as a result of its geographical location, harbouring rich marine environments with coral reefs, commercial fish species, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and many other marine organisms that depend for their survival on the health of marine ecosystems.
Al Kumzari explained that the Environment Department continues to carry out monitoring activities, field inspections, and responses to environmental reports, alongside awareness campaigns directed at fishermen and sea-goers. He called upon everyone to cooperate with competent authorities and report any practices or waste that might impact the marine environment, emphasizing that environmental protection is a shared national responsibility requiring joint action from all members of society.
It is worth noting that the Environment Department in Musandam Governorate continues to implement environmental monitoring programs, remove marine debris, monitor the condition of coral reefs, and strengthen community partnership to safeguard the marine environment, in alignment with the targets of Oman Vision 2040 and the principles of sustainable development.