Dead stingrays wash up on Oman shore

Fishermen have been known to dump unsellable stingrays that are by-catch

Hundreds of stingray were found lying dead on Seeb beach in Oman, prompting a reaction from locals on the mistreatment of marine life and the harmful practice of waste.

“This is not the first time fishermen have dumped stingrays on the beach. They did it last year and also in 2018,” Ibrahim Al Shamsi, a member of the Oman Sustainability centre (OSC), told The National.

“It seems they do this regularly.”

A video showing more than a dozen dead honeycomb stingrays on Seeb beach in Muscat has started a social media conversation with many Omanis urging the government to punish offenders.

Muscat municipality cleaned up the beach soon after the video was shared.

A social media user urged the police to take a stronger stand and regularly patrol the beach to arrest offenders.

“We don’t see any fishermen being arrested and that’s why they continue dumping the stingray fish,” one social media user wrote in a Whatsapp message.

“We want the police to patrol the beach and punish the offenders either by fining them or send them to court for prosecution.”

Fishermen try to justify their actions by saying that there is no market for stingrays.

“We don’t fish them, they just get caught in our nets. We dump the stingray fish because it is a waste of time trying to sell them,” said Salim Al Amri, a fishermen from Seeb.

“There is no market for them because nobody buys them. So why should we waste our time putting them back into the water?”

Some say it is not just wasting food resources, but the act will lead to overfishing of stingrays and reduce their growth.

“Stingray fish are edible but these fishermen are afraid to touch them and they just throw them on the beach because of their sting,” another social media user said.

A man examines a record-breaking giant freshwater stingray before it is released back into the Mekong River in the north-eastern province of Stung Treng in Cambodia. AP Photo

Cambodian and American scientists and fisheries officials prepare to release the fish. It weighs 300 kilograms and is 2.2 metres wide and almost four metres from snout to tail – a record for the world's largest known freshwater fish. AP Photo

The fish was caught on June 13 by a local fisherman south of Stung Treng in north-eastern Cambodia. He received a reward of $600. AP

A close-up of the giant freshwater stingray. A bottom-dwelling species that lives in sandy and muddy areas, it preys on small fish and invertebrates. AFP

International scientists, Cambodian fisheries officials, and villagers at Koh Preah island with the stingray. While not aggressive, its sting is sheathed in toxic mucus and is capable of piercing bone. AFP

The previous record for a freshwater fish was a 293-kilogram Mekong giant catfish, discovered in Thailand in 2005, the Wonders of the Mekong group said. AFP

Scientists arrived within hours of receiving a post-midnight call with the news — and were “stunned” by the sight that greeted them. AFP

“We see hundreds of them being dumped on the beach every month and that will severely reduce its stock in our waters if this practice continues any longer.”

Omanis say they do not eat stingray because the sting in its tail is poisonous and spreads to the body.

“Many Omanis believe that a stingray [poison] is not only contained in the tail but it is spread in its entire body. They don’t eat it just to stay on the safe side,” Mohammed Al Araimi, an Omani citizen, explained to a European social media user on a Facebook page.

Waste experts say that fishermen need to be educated on waste management and preserving food.

“We cannot just arrest them, but first let’s educate them about waste management. We also need to educate the general public that stingray fish are a delicacy and all they need to do is remove the tail,” Mr Al Shamsi said.

The Omani government set up OSC last March to stop waste and work towards the gulf country's net-zero carbon emissions goal, to be achieved by 2050, which includes recycling natural resources, such as food, energy and minerals.