The phenomenon of fish mortality has resurfaced at Sidon Port in southern Lebanon, after an estimated 200 kilograms of dead small fish floated to the surface in the historic fishermen's harbor adjacent to the Sidon Castle. This raises concerns about sea water pollution from the city's sewage and surrounding areas, leading to fish deaths. The head of the fishermen's union, Nazih Sunbul, told "Sky News Arabia": "We cannot determine the source of the pollution, and this is not the first time this has occurred; however, it has previously been limited in time and quantity."
Sunbul suggested that "the cause of the fish deaths might be due to small factories and citizens dumping some chemicals and detergents into the sewage water, which flows into the sea without effective treatment, consequently leading to fish mortality." He added: "There is a possibility that some fishermen who use illegal fishing nets that catch small fish— which are not sold in the fish market— dispose of them by throwing them back into the harbor after capturing them again, causing them to float on the water surface and create an unsightly scene that deters fish market customers from purchasing for fear of contamination."
He explained: "The gathering of dead fish in the harbor is due to its semi-closed nature, where waves do not hit it directly," expressing hope that citizens would stop discarding chemicals and pesticides into waters that eventually flow into the sea, especially since monitoring is weak and there are no penalties imposed on violators."
For his part, the head of divers in Lebanon, Mohamed Sarji, speculated that "the dead fish might have been thrown into the harbor by fishermen after they spoiled in the fish market." Sarji emphasized the importance of adhering to conditions for preserving the marine environment and using legal fishing nets that do not capture small fish, which are not desired for purchase, because the nets in use destroy small fish and contribute to their scarcity, which raises their prices at this time.
It is worth noting that Sidon Port, the southern coastal city, serves as the city’s touristic waterfront renowned for its historical sites and cafes, providing livelihoods for hundreds of fishermen from the city and nearby areas. The fish wealth in Lebanon has significantly declined in recent years due to overfishing and fishing practices using explosives, which harm small fish.
