Three tonnes of dead fish washes up on Bossaso's shore, Somalia

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Three tonnes of dead fish washes up on Bossaso's shore on Tuesday, Radio Garowe reports. Abdiwahid Mohamed Jo'ar Director General of the Ministry of Fishery in Puntland who spoke to media stated that the dead fish that washed up on Bossaso's shore is a result of toxic dumping in Somali waters. Mr. Jo'ar who has been very outspoken against the toxic dumping in Somali waters told reporters that authorities are investigating this matter. Reports about piracy suggest that toxic dumping along with illegal trawling in Somali waters has led many fisherman to join piracy due to a lack of work on the coast of Somalia. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah a Mauritanian diplomat and former UN special envoy to Somalia told AFP in July 2008 that illegal fishing and waste dumping in Somali waters is a disaster for the Somalia environment. He added, "I am convinced there is dumping of solid waste, chemicals and probably nuclear waste." Somalia has the longest coast in Africa and has huge number of commercial fish species.

- RSOE EDIS