Latest news with #Environment Authority
Times of Oman
05-08-2025
- General
- Times of Oman
Entangled Whale found dead on Al Ashkhara beach, highlighting marine debris threat
Muscat: Specialists from the Environment Department in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate responded to the death of a whale that washed ashore on Al Ashkhara Beach. Relevant teams immediately began work, taking the necessary environmental and technical measures to address the situation. Initial examinations conducted by the department's specialists determined that the whale's death was caused by suffocation. Ropes had become tightly wrapped around its body, severely restricting its movement and preventing it from breathing. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the negative effects of marine debris, particularly discarded fishing nets and gear, on marine life. The Environment Authority used the incident to underscore the critical importance of environmental awareness among fishermen and beachgoers. The Authority called for the safe and responsible disposal of fishing gear and urged the public to refrain from throwing any waste into the sea to preserve marine life and maintain ecological balance. The Authority continues its ongoing efforts to monitor and respond to marine strandings. It also implements awareness campaigns and conducts periodic monitoring to mitigate threats to the marine environment throughout the Sultanate of from the Environment Department in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate responded to the death of a whale that washed ashore on Al Ashkhara Beach. Relevant teams immediately began work, taking the necessary environmental and technical measures to address the situation. Initial examinations conducted by the department's specialists determined that the whale's death was caused by suffocation. Ropes had become tightly wrapped around its body, severely restricting its movement and preventing it from breathing. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the negative effects of marine debris, particularly discarded fishing nets and gear, on marine life. The Environment Authority used the incident to underscore the critical importance of environmental awareness among fishermen and beachgoers. The Authority called for the safe and responsible disposal of fishing gear and urged the public to refrain from throwing any waste into the sea to preserve marine life and maintain ecological balance. The Authority continues its ongoing efforts to monitor and respond to marine strandings. It also implements awareness campaigns and conducts periodic monitoring to mitigate threats to the marine environment throughout the Sultanate of Oman.
Times of Oman
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Environment Authority participates in high-level political forum on sustainable development
New York: The Environment Authority on Wednesday took part in the "2025 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development" in New York. The forum was held in New York under the theme "Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind". The Sultanate of Oman's delegation was led by Dr. Abdullah Ali Al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, who heads the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). The forum focused on practical, data-driven strategies to bridge implementation gaps, notably amid interconnected global crises, including climate change, inequality and economic instability. In a speech at the forum, Al Amri laid emphasis on the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), scheduled to be held in Nairobi in December 2025. He said that the UNEA-7 constitutes a 'global opportunity to accelerate sustainable, knowledge-based solutions for a resilient planet." Al Amri underscored the need to devise environmental solutions with special focus on the interconnectedness that exists between environmental challenges and public health. He stressed the need to embrace an integrated approach—like "One Health" principle—to effectively address these challenges. He also underlined the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to address environmental issues and espousing circular economy as a key factor to achieve sustainable production and consumption. In this context, he called upon countries to incorporate such solutions into their national policies. Al Amri highlighted the progress made in negotiations on the convention to control plastic pollution. He stressed the need to ratify international agreements to protect marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction, in addition to cooperation between the United Nations Environment Assembly and parties tasked with multilateral environmental agreements to ensure effective environmental governance. The speech also undersored the urgent need to reform the global financial structure and provide sustainable and innovative financing mechanisms to support sustainable economic and environmental models. Al Amri pointed out that areas affected by wars and conflicts should be included in efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of measures to support peace and environmental justice. At the conclusion of his speech, Al Amri underlined the importance of dialogue and understanding as the best means of achieving rapprochement at a time the international community is joining hands to ensure a sustainable future for all. On the sidelines of the forum, Al Amri conferred with the President of the United Nations General Assembly. The meeting touched on ways to enhance international environmental action and highlighted the Sultanate of Oman's role in advancing the global agenda on sustainability. Al Amri also held a meeting with the Hungarian Minister of Environment. The meeting discussed bilateral and regional cooperation in the field of environment and sustainable development. The two sides spoke about preparations for the forthcoming seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. Acting in cooperation with Environment Society of Oman, the Environment Authority also participated in an event on the sidelines of the forum. The event was aimed to enhance the role of youth in climate action and marine environment protection, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 13 on climate action, Goal 14 on Life Below Water and Goal 17 on "Partnerships for the Goals".
Times of Oman
20-07-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
Sea turtle returns to Oman shores after 15 years since tagging
Ras Al Hadd: A team from the Environment Authority has successfully observed the return of a green sea turtle to Seih Al Mara'e in the Wilayat of Sur, South A'Sharqiyah Governorate. This marks its return over 15 years after its initial tagging. The turtle was originally tagged on 7 September 2010, in the Seih Al Mara'e area during sea turtle nesting monitoring operations at the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve. This return underscores the strong attachment of these creatures to their original nesting sites and highlights the crucial role of tagging programmes in tracking their migration and studying their return patterns. Such efforts significantly bolster conservation endeavors and the preservation of their biological diversity. It is worth noting that the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve is one of the most prominent global sites for sea turtle nesting, hosting thousands of turtles annually. Continuous monitoring and research efforts have contributed to collecting valuable data that supports the preservation of this unique environmental heritage for future generations.
