According to a study, seven whales died after colliding with ships, becoming entangled in fishing gear, and consuming plastic debris that washed ashore on UAE shores. The study, which lasted nearly seven years, examined tissues from five Bryde’s whales, one Blue whale, and a Humpback whale.
The dead whales were discovered on Sharjah, Dubai, Umm Al Quwain, and Khor Fakkan coastlines. The Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA) conducted the first-of-its-kind study in partnership with the American University of Sharjah and Zayed University.
Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, chairperson of the EPAA, stated that the whales’ tissues contained contaminants and heavy metals. The most common causes of death were “collisions with ships and large vessels and entanglement with fishing gear — particularly sturdy ropes in which whales become ensnared, leading to parts of their bodies being severed” .
Furthermore, the plastic debris that litters the seafloor impacts these whales. They swallow bags and empty containers with their food, causing digestive tract blockage and, as a result, death,” Al Suwaidi stated.
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