AMMAN — As authorities continue cleanup efforts of the oil spill at the berth of the
Aqaba container terminal from Sunday and investigations into the cause of the
spill are underway, water expert
Duraid Mahasneh asserted that the accurate
impact of the spill could only be determined in the coming weeks to a month.
اضافة اعلان
According to Mahasneh, the leakage was from an old
ship that came from the island of Palau and spread towards the southern
beaches, the marine reserve, and the container terminal.
The leaked oil, he said, is thick and coats the
water, meaning it does not sink or go deep into the water. While marine life
deeper in the water is safe, corals near shore and fish food will likely suffer
from the spill.
Nidal Al-Majali, Commissioner for Tourism and Environment
at the
Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), told
Jordan News that a comprehensive cleanup plan is underway to treat the spill.
Majali emphasized the importance of protecting
marine life, especially corals, explaining that the oil moves quickly with the
waves, which is why their priority is “removing pollutants from the water”.
The size of the spill was not large, according to
Majali. “However, it (the spill) is harmful and disrupts the general
environment, as there are some beaches that need two working days to clean.”
Majali pointed out that ASEZA, in cooperation with
the Jordan Maritime Commission and Prince Hamzah Center, began investigating
the cause of the spill.
The Director-General of the Aqaba Company for the
Management and Operation of Ports, Abdul Majeed Al-Qarala, told
Jordan News that the oil leak was due to a technical error in the ship’s engine.
However, despite the spill, work at the port was
still ongoing with no impact.
“Things are going on normally,” he said.
The head of the
Aqaba Diving Association, Khamash
Yassin, told
Jordan News that work was adversely impacted for them.
“The substance has a sticky asphalt-like texture which is
difficult to remove from the skin and diving equipment.”
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