November 19, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 13, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 18: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pepa) will take a legal action against any vessel found involved in the dumping of toxic or any other waste into the country’s territorial waters.

An official announcement issued on Monday stated that a decision in this regard was taken following accumulation of dead fish off the Karachi’s coast. The action, however, would be based on scientific research and confirmation.

There was an apprehension that some vessels might have dumped the dead fish into the sea. It has also been reported that no other marine life was affected during the period.

To cope with the situation, the director-general of Pepa has ordered a detailed investigation to ascertain causes for this massive loss of marine resources.

The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency has collected samples of the dead fish and seawater to determine the level of pollution in water and toxicity in the dead fish.

The agency would also look into other circumstances that affected the marine life.