The Environment Public Authority (EPA) said on Wednesday it is continuing to closely monitor fish mortality cases in Kuwait’s waters, in coordination with the Scientific Center — one of the institutions under the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences — to determine the underlying causes of the phenomenon. EPA Director of Public Relations and Media Sheikha Al-Ibrahim told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that, under a memorandum of understanding between the two sides, specialists have been coordinated and trained in the dissection of dead marine organisms, including the extraction of tissue samples and skeletal structures to support scientific analysis.
She said a dead porpoise was examined on Wednesday in a systematic and precise manner in line with approved scientific protocols. All procedures were documented, with tissue and internal organ samples collected for laboratory testing. Al-Ibrahim added that comprehensive biological samples were also gathered and analyzed to ensure accurate scientific results that would help identify the causes of death and contributing factors. The findings, she noted, will strengthen the EPA’s ability to implement preventive measures and protect the marine environment from future impacts.
She explained that the examinations were conducted in coordination with relevant authorities to support environmental monitoring efforts and develop appropriate measures to reduce the recurrence of such incidents. On the recurring fish deaths, Al-Ibrahim said they are linked to the proliferation of certain phytoplankton blooms, which reduce dissolved oxygen levels in seawater and alter its color, leading to suffocation of fish and other marine organisms. She noted that the red tide phenomenon and associated fish kills typically increase annually along Kuwait’s coastline at the beginning of summer, particularly in May, due to rising sea surface temperatures in the Arabian Gulf.
Al-Ibrahim also pointed out that changes in coastal water color, especially near stormwater outlets, are influenced by human activities that directly or indirectly affect water quality, contributing to the occurrence of red tide events and fish mortality. She urged citizens, residents and fishermen to report any fish deaths observed along Kuwait’s shores or within territorial waters to the EPA, stressing the authority’s commitment to field monitoring, coastal surveys in Kuwait Bay, and continuous environmental assessment to safeguard marine life.
