A quarter-ton of "Ghost Window" debris recovered from the Urayqan maritime area
KUNA – The Kuwaiti Diving Team, affiliated with the Environmental Volunteer Association (Al-Mubara), carried out an expanded environmental operation that resulted in the removal of large quantities of abandoned fishing nets entangled in coral reefs at the Arefjan marine site.
Team leader Waleed Al-Fadhel told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that “the operation successfully removed abandoned fishing nets weighing a quarter of a ton at a depth of 12 meters and covering an area of 30 square meters, while rescuing the living organisms trapped within them.” He explained that “the operation is a continuation of the team’s sustained volunteer efforts over many years, aimed at cleaning the entire Kuwaiti sea, protecting marine environmental components, and ensuring navigational safety for boats and ships.”
Al-Fadhel added that “abandoned fishing nets (ghost nets) pose a serious threat to the ecosystem, causing coral reefs to suffocate and be destroyed due to their reliance on sunlight, while also trapping fish and other marine creatures, leading to their death.”
He emphasized that “the success of the operation in Arefjan represents a new step toward restoring ecological balance in this vital area. In addition to its environmental impact, removing these entangled nets directly contributes to securing waterways and ensuring navigational safety for sea users and diving enthusiasts, helping them avoid incidents of nets tangling with ship engines or obstructing towed movement.”
Al-Fadhel noted that “the Arefjan site is home to several types of beautiful coral reefs. It is also a destination for divers and fishing enthusiasts, and contains the wreck of a large iron ship that has been there for 40 years.”
He affirmed the team’s commitment to the safety of coral reefs through the establishment of sustainable marine mooring points for boats and yachts to prevent the throwing of anchors, thereby avoiding coral breakage. The team also continues to monitor the reefs’ health, remove debris and fishing nets, and plans to issue a scientific report on their growth at this site in the coming days.
