The little fisherman  

I've been fishing for four decades, and I have a small boat in one of the Gulf marinas that I only use in the winter. Allah blessed me with a friend who loves fishing, and I ask Allah to perpetuate this friendship that has extended since we studied together at Al-Fayhaa Intermediate School. My grandchildren accompany us from time to time, and their little one—may Allah protect him—loves the sea. Throughout those years, we were keen on the cleanliness of the sea, and we could not throw any kind of waste, as well as return small fish to the sea, as well as Jem fish, as this is an environmental culture instilled in children and grandchildren from childhood, and it became clear as a principle. Before the ban on fishing in Kuwait Gulf, we were fishing at the "Al-Taba'ana," and for those who do not know the Al-Taba’ana, it is a ship that sank in Kuwait Gulf more than four decades ago, and it is an excellent area for fishing. After the fishing ban, the peripheries of Daiya, Al-Ras, and Al-Raksa became fishing areas. In the eighties, we used to fish at any of the fishing areas near, and the number of fish we caught was a lot, thanks to Allah, but now the situation has changed, and they say that the fisheries have decreased in the Gulf of Kuwait as a result of overfishing, which is true, but what is more correct is the unjust pollution, which is clear to the environment officials. The sewage water tanks are still draining the waste of the state in this poor gulf, and I do not want anyone to say that these water tanks are intended for rainwater drainage, because this is not accurate, and the matter does not need a laboratory; you only have to stand over the sewer at the ebbs and see what will come out of it or smell its aromas. The most dangerous of all is that there are many industrial workshops, including gold-making workshops, that use toxic mercury in their work and are not committed to environmental conditions, disposing of their waste either through public sewers or designated for rainwater, and there are many facilities, especially old ones, that you can find Its sewers are connected in one way or another with the rain sewers. This is also not the only source of air pollution. Let me tell you this story, The grandson Othman got tired of the lack of fishing and asked me: Is there another place we can fish in? I replied to him: "The Environment Agency has started to allow fishing in the Gulf for a fee of 5 dinars." Let's try it there. After the ban on fishing, we hope that the situation has improved. The young fisherman was happy, and I paid the environmental fees a day before the fishing, and it was so easy. Then we got a fishing license, and we set out towards the Sheikh Jaber Bridge, where the weather was beautiful and the view of the bridge and the fishing below it was even more beautiful. The grandson inquired as to why the sea is littered with dirt, orange peels, plastic bags, cans, and a long list of other waste. It is clear that this waste is the product of one of the ships heading to or outside the port of Shuwaikh; whether they were fishing or transport ships, only Allah knows. However, they emptied their waste and sewage into the Gulf of Kuwait without any oversight or accountability. We reached Al-Taba’ana and changed our location several times, and the catch was some Yamyam and Nuwaibi, praise be to Allah, but the fishing was not like before, and that is for sure, and here I wonder: Why is Shuwaikh port still operating at this time? This port and the ships that dock there are the main sources of pollution in the Gulf. The second question is Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, which has been late to be delivered and operated until now for reasons that are not properly understood and could be political; only Allah knows. Why is it not considered an alternative port for Shuwaikh Port? Thus, the Shuwaikh port and its surrounding lands and facilities will be transformed into a modern marina and tourist centers such as hotels, as well as international marine research centers concerned with preserving fisheries, rehabilitating the atmosphere, and cleaning it of pollution. A project like this revives the economy and contributes to the elimination of one of the main sources of pollution in Kuwait!

 I was unable to answer my grandson’s question, "Why is our sea filled with dirt?" I leave the answer to our wise government and the esteemed National Assembly.

And we have a sequel to the next article with the story of the little gardener, Othman

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