KARACHI, July 28: Hundreds of dead fish were found off the Keamari harbour and adjoining areas on Saturday, raising environmental concerns.
Rotting fish dotted the beach near the Jinnah Bridge and along the Lalazar in large numbers. No official was available for comments.
A man visiting a Hindu temple located beneath the Jinnah Bridge said that the dead fish had been initially spotted near the coast in the morning and the number had grown since then. He said that the stench of dead fish was almost unbearable.
Karim Dad, who lives nearby and works in the harbour, also said that the dead fish had started surfacing in the morning while some had landed on the beach but their number had grown since then.
Fishermen claimed that the harbour’s water had become polluted since an oil tanker, the ‘Tasman Spirit’, ran aground in the Keamari Channel in July 2003. It was carrying 67,500 tonnes of crude oil. The vessel had split into two and caused a massive oil spill, threatening public health, the environment and the marine life.
