The Kuwait Environment Protection Society confirmed that “a group of its members and other members of local volunteer teams who monitor and track migratory and resident birds have spotted many seabirds contaminated with oil,” noting that “the Society has contacted the relevant authorities to monitor oil spills and the search revealed that there is no source of oil pollution in Kuwaiti territorial waters.”.
This was stated by Samira Al-Khalifa, a board member and head of the photographic documentation team at the association. She added, “Monitoring some migratory seabirds during their autumn migration reveals their passage through oil-polluted areas along their migration route.” She noted that “the importance of monitoring and tracking living organisms, especially migratory birds, lies in its ability to help identify the dangers they may encounter during their journey and migration, including passing over oil slicks or spills. This provides us with an indication of their presence and gives us a clear picture of the environmental conditions along their migration route until they reach their destination.“ In this context, she pointed out that “the current coordination between the Environment Public Authority and the Scientific Center for the rehabilitation of some organisms does not cover all confiscated or emergency cases. It is dangerous to receive any living organisms before quarantining them to ensure they are free of any infectious diseases, then assessing their health status to determine the best course of action for treatment and rehabilitation before returning them to their natural environment.”.
Samira Al-Khalifa reiterated the association's demand to the relevant authorities in the country for the establishment of a center to shelter, rehabilitate, and treat living creatures and migratory and resident birds, as they sometimes suffer severe injuries that prevent them from continuing their normal lives. Al-Khalifa noted, "When any member of the association, or any local observer or tracker, sees an injured living creature or bird and tries to rescue it, they will not find a headquarters or official facility to receive it. This has happened more than once recently." Hence the necessity and importance of establishing a center for the rehabilitation and treatment of living creatures, especially migratory birds, under the auspices of a relevant authority.
