RAK residents complain of rotting seabirds on beaches

The cormorants died after being caught in fishermen's nets. Their corpses were thrown overboard and washed up on shore.

RAS AL KHAIMAH // Residents in Al Jeer have complained after a large number of rotting seabird corpses were washed up on beaches over the weekend.

Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National, reported that the cormorants had died after being caught in fishermen's nets.

The fishermen then threw the dead birds overboard, where the tide washed them ashore.

Dr Saif Al Ghais, director general of the Environment Protection and Development Authority, said although the dead cormorants created a bad smell they were not a pollution hazard.

He called on fishermen to work with the EPDA to safely dispose of the dead cormorants.