KUWAIT: The Environment Public Authority (EPA) has detected the spread of red tide over large swathes off Kuwaiti coasts along the Green Island and the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al-Sabah causeway. In a press statement, the EPA stated Monday that its teams had surveyed the affected areas and took samples for laboratory analyses. The EPA urged the public to refrain from reporting or circulating rumors about any kind of pollution before the official confirmation. It warned that legal action would be taken against violators as per article No. 126 of the environment protection law.

Last week, the EPA announced that it had detected fish mortalities off Suliabikhat coast and red tide spots in Gulf waters off Shuwaikh coast. It cautioned that some other phenomena such as jellyfish, algae, and fish death boom may occur in the southern areas and Kuwait Bay due to the season change and high temperature. Red tide is a common name for algal blooms, which are large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms, such as protozoans and unicellular algae. Harmful algal blooms can occur worldwide, and natural cycles can vary regionally. The most conspicuous effects of red tides are the associated wildlife mortalities and harmful human exposure. - KUNA