The UAE said efforts were under way yesterday to contain oil leaking from a tanker vessel offshore that prompted authorities to close beaches and warn fishermen to avoid the area.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf shipping lanes have driven up security risks for maritime traffic and heightened fears over the conflict’s environmental fallout.
The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said in a statement that containment operations had been launched and an environmental assessment was being carried out.
All beaches and coastal areas around the city of Umm Al Quwain had been temporarily closed until technical teams completed their assessments and determined the necessary safety and marine protection measures, it said.
The ministry also urged fishermen and other sea users to avoid affected areas and follow official instructions.
Authorities in Sharjah temporarily closed Al Hamriyah Beach, on the UAE’s northern coast near the border with Umm Al Quwain, as a precaution, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau said.
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