Editorial
Survey of Environmentally

Sensitive areas
Dear Reader,

This is the Sixth Issue of the Newsletter Al Sambouk
Among the projects approved by the PERSGA Council
produced by PERSGA as it continues activities in
at its Second Meeting in Jeddah (26 October 1996) was
capacity building alongside the implementation of
the project: "Surveys of Environmentally Sensitive
regional projects. This issue also contains articles
Areas and Plans for their Protection". ALECSO is
submitted by readers who have an interest in the marine
sharing funding of this project within its contribution to
environment and conservation of their natural
the PERSGA budget. The project was also
resources. They are presented for everyone's benefit.
recommended for immediate implementation by the
Comments and continuous encouragement from readers
Regional Consultative Meeting for the Strategic Action
are appreciated. However we do hope to receive more
Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (Jeddah,
contributions about current activities in coastal and
7th May 1997). The Project will be implemented in both
marine environments in the countries of the region, in
Djibouti and Sudan.
addition to articles of general interest.
Accordingly, PERSGA Secretariat hired Dr. William
Several articles are included in this issue including ones
Gladstone to formulate Terms of Reference for this
that cover Marine Protected Areas, Oil Spill Response
project in the light of the Country Reports from the two
Centre, a brief report on the results of surveys in the
countries. As soon as the Terms of Reference were
GEF/Yemen Project, in addition to workshops to be
prepared, international firms and institutions were
held by PERSGA during this year.
invited to bid for the project. Several offers were
received by PERSGA and the results of the evaluation
Al Sambouk has been produced in Arabic and English
will be known within the next few days.
separately; however, as from the Fifth Issue, it has been
produced as one copy in both languages. We expect
The Assistant Coordinator of PERSGA met with
that the following issues will follow this shape.
national experts and relevant government authorities in
Port Sudan and Djibouti where national capabilities and
Finally, we hope you will find this issue both interesting
available field equipment were discussed. It is planned
and stimulating.
that fieldwork will be completed by the end of this year
Dr. Dirar Nasr
while a coastal zone management workshop and

submission of the final report will take place next year.
In This Issue of Al Sambouk:


Tide gauges along the Saudi
Editorial 1
Survey of Environmentally Sensitive Areas 1
Arabian Red Sea Coast
Tide Gauges along the Saudi Arabian
Red Sea Coast 1

Yemen's Contribution to PERSGA 2
On 17 November 1992, the Meteorology and
Oil Spill Response Centre - Jeddah 2
Environmental Protection Administration (MEPA),
A Regional Training Workshop on Surveys
Saudi Arabia, installed a network of tide gauges along
and Monitoring 4
the Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coast in Haql, Wejh,
Marine Protected Areas 4
Jeddah and Gizan. These gauges automatically record
A Regional Workshop on Combating
tidal fluctuations by sensors that operate from sound
Oil Pollution 6
waves. Information is recorded and stored in the main
Protection of Marine Ecosystems of the
system every six minutes. The network is connected
Red Sea Coast - Yemen 7
through a telephone line to a computer based in MEPA
Tide-Gauge Systems for Sudan and Yemen 7
where information is received and analysed. The
The Meeting of the PERSGA Executive
computer provides information as tables or graphs and
Committee 8
predictions of future tidal fluctuations are possible.

Abdulla Bamahair
MEPA

Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 1

---

established in 1992. Since then the centre has taken
Yemen's Contribution to PERSGA several measures to ensure timely and immediate
response operations for marine pollution accidents,

particularly those involving oil spills. These measures
PERSGA has received the contribution from the
include:
Government of Yemen to the budget of 1996. Such
- Dissemination of the Notification Form to all parties
contribution will encourage PERSGA Secretariat to
concerned with implementation of the NCP as well as
proceed in implementing the projects approved by the
the organizations that have facilities on the coastlines of
PERSGA Council and recommended by the Regional
the Red Sea or the Arabian Gulf; the centre has also
Consultative Meeting for the Strategic Action
attempted to come up with a mechanism for notification
Programme for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (SAP) as
of pollution incidents.
they support the latter.
- Preparing an inventory of manpower and equipment

available for each party. The inventory has been
Oil Spill Response Centre - Jeddah
manipulated by the computer at the centre to be in
service as needed.

- Establishing a database covering all data pertaining to
The pollution resulting from oil spills may cause severe
marine oil pollution since the centre was established.
damage to the environment, as its impacts remain for
years to come unless the affected areas are immediately
- Determining environmentally sensitive areas.
cleaned.
- Specifying local and international firms working in the
The most important principle on which control of oil
field of combating oil pollution.
pollution must be based is `forward planning'. With
- Issuing annual reports on marine oil pollution and
clear plans, the response team can keep the situation
circulating them among the concerned parties.
under control, and avoid unnecessary surprises.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a leading producer
Measures to Implement the NCP
and exporter of oil in the region and worldwide.
First: On receiving the Notification Form by Fax
Recognising this, the Kingdom has taken the initiative
from:
in adopting a National Contingency Plan (NPC) for the
control of pollution by oil and other harmful
1. Frontiers Guards.
substances. The NCP has been approved by the
2. The Public Ports Authority (Directorates of the
Council of Ministers as per its resolution No. 157 on
different ports).
20.11.1411 AH.
3. The Public Corporation for Water Desalination.
Accordingly an Operations Committee has been formed
in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf for the
4. The Armed Forces.
implementation of this plan. The committee consists of
5. The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu.
the following:
6. The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation
1. Ministry of Defence and Aviation (Meteorology and
and Development.
Environmental Protection Administration - MEPA) as
the Chairman.
7. Ships crossing the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia.
2. Ministry of Interior (the Frontier Guards, the Civil
8. International and regional organizations.
Defence).
9. Saudi and foreign companies in the field of oil
3. Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.
transport, loading and unloading.
4. Ministry of Municipality and Rural Affairs.
10. Any other party.
5. The Public Ports Authority.
Second: Ensure the Notification's Soundness:
MEPA has been mandated to be the national
1. Put all the centre's workers on full alert.
coordinator for implementation of the plan's articles.
2. Pay serious consideration to all the notification's
Accordingly, an Oil Spill Response Centre was
details.


Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 2

---

3. Phone the notifying party to check the soundness and
3. Collection and Removal Measures:
accuracy of the notification.
Following the above-mentioned actions, oil will be
4. Coordinate with the affected party.
collected from specific sites to be determined by the
operations team. Oil will be removed from water by
5. Send a team to conduct land, marine and aerial
suitable equipment such as skimmers, mobile or
surveys in the area to define the location, volume and
stationary removal machines. These procedures will set
estimate amounts as per the particular circumstances
the scene for the final disposal of oil.
and location of each accident.
Third: The Response Operation follows:
4. Clean-up Operations:
1. Forward a brief report to MEPA's top officials to
When pollution reaches the beaches, clean-up actions
request provision of all capabilities required by the
must be started as soon as the source is certainly under
response operation.
control, and all spilled oil is removed. Several different
techniques maybe used to clean-up beaches, depending
2. Forward a preliminary report to the Governor of the
on the geological nature of the beach itself. For
province for information.
instance, rocky beaches have to be cleansed with water
3. Contact members of the Province's Committee, if
pumped at high pressure, whereas a coarse sandy beach
necessary, as per volume, location, and sensitivity of
is often better left for natural processes of
pollution.
rehabilitation.
4. Hold a meeting for the centre's members to
5. Oil Disposal:
formulate the general response plan and determine the
In the final stage of the response-operation, oil and oil-
following:
stained debris is be taken to the final disposal site (to be
- Sites of operation on the attached maps.
determined in coordination with the concerned
municipality). The final disposal can be either
- The responsibility and duty of each person at
incineration in special incinerators or by biological
operation site.
degradation at specific locations.
- The equipment needed and methods of mobilisation.
- Areas that should be protected due to their special
6. Documentation:
significance - strategic, economic or environmental.
Daily reports on the accident and the operations
undertaken, including protection, removal, clean-up and
- Areas where oil could be confined prior to skimming.
disposal will be made and the daily reports are then
- Devices for skimming oil and the final disposal
compiled into a final report on the operations.
methods.
- The day and time of operations' commencement.
Compensation Claim:
A report is to be prepared on the expenses incurred by
Fourth: Operational stage, which is as follows:
the parties involved in the response operations as well
1. Operations to stop leakage at source:
as the costs of the environmental damage. The party
causing the pollution will be requested to reimburse all
After defining the source of pollution, the appropriate
costs incurred.
measures must be taken to stop leakage, whether it is
from a loading process, a vessel, or other source. This
Osama Qurban
is to minimise pollution and to prevent its spread.
MEPA
A Regional Training Workshop on
2. Protective Actions:
Protective actions should be taken for a number of sites
Surveys and Monitoring
due to their strategic, economic or environmental
significance. Such protection is to be done by deploying

appropriate booms that would prevent the spread of the
PERSGA, in cooperation and coordination with the
spill to the protected areas and deflect it into selected
GEF/Yemen Project in Hodeidah and the
sites where it can be collected and removed.
Environmental Protection Council in Sana'a, will
organise a Regional Training Workshop on Surveys


Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 3

---

and Monitoring in Hodeidah during the period 6-11
- Control of activities that affect protectorates.
December 1997. This Workshop is the third of three
- Ensuring sustainable benefits for individuals and
workshops to be held in the region within the context of
communities living around marine protected areas.
the "Red Sea Regional Framework Plan". The two
previous workshops were on `Environmental Impact
Conservation and management of areas of significant
Assessment' and `Marine Protected Areas' and were
economic, cultural and aesthetic importance for the
held in Jeddah and Sharm El-Sheikh respectively.
present and future generations by means of:
The Hodeidah Workshop will be attended by
- Maintaining and developing public awareness through
participants from Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi
explanation and recognition of the marine ecosystems.
Arabia, Sudan and Yemen in addition to consultants
- Permitting certain activities which have no negative
from the region and overseas. The Workshop will
impacts on the protectorates.
include field visits to coral reef and mangrove areas.
Topics to be discussed will include the following:
- Encouraging scientific research with the aim of
understanding human impacts on the environment.
· The role of surveys in protection of marine and
coastal environments, and planning for sustainable
Legislation:
use of resources.
Declaring and managing marine protectorates requires
· The context and results of surveys of the Red Sea
legislation, ranging from laws geared to supplement and
GEF/Egypt and Yemen Projects.
modify the present ones to an entirely new law for the
· Surveying coral reefs and other marine living
conservation of the environment. However, formulating
resources.
new laws depends on the citizens' traditions and
·
conventions as well as on the legal norms of the
Database and designing a monitoring programme.
country.

One question often raised goes: is there any need to
Marine Protected Areas
include management details in the general laws of the
country to comply with the management system of
Definition: Marine protectorates are defined as
protectorates?
ecosystems which have parts that are characterised by
In many cases, such regulatory laws are opposed by the
geophysical, geological or biological diversity. These
local inhabitants residing near protectorates and over-
protectorates are a part of the natural base of life. As a
exploiting, for instance, fish resources. These are
permanent reservoir of economic, aesthetic or cultural
usually short-sighted complaints advocating current
resources, under the threat of deterioration or
economic benefits while laws should concentrate on
extinction, they need various levels of protection from
establishing economic benefits for the long-term with
political, legislative and executive bodies.
the objective of realising the sustainability of the
The Role of Marine Protectorates:
resources for the interest of the present and future
generations.
The roles played by marine protectorates include
protection; rehabilitation; environmental recovery;
Laws must include certain management details, bearing
scientific research and follow-up; understanding and
in mind that there should also be flexibility to deal with
sound use; and the sustainable utilisation of the marine
unexpected matters. There are some areas of concern
resources.
that must be cared for when setting environmental
legislation. For instance, if a protectorate is for multiple
General Policies:
use, would implementation of legislation be vested in
- Protection and sustainable management for samples of
one party -or would the laws allow the different bodies
marine ecosystems in order to maintain their long-term
to perform their activities in the protectorate?
presence and to conserve genetic diversity.
In many cases there is a conflict between the activities
- Protection and management of areas with special
taking place in the protectorate, particularly as each
interest to the quality of life - i.e. which provide us with
activity is under the jurisdiction of a specific organ of
sustainable economic resources.
the government. For example, fishing is the
- Conservation of endangered populations and species,
responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and
as well as their habitats.
Fisheries, tourism belongs to the Ministry of Tourism


Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 4

---

and nature conservation to the Ministry of
and leader are carefully selected. This team must
Environment.
include specialists in oceanography, environment,
sociology, economics, legislation, and other fields that
The link between marine environments is an issue to be
serve the objectives of the protectorate. The leader of
dealt with by the law. It is known that marine
the team must be familiar with methods of information
organisms, such as larvae, are in constant movement.
gathering and analysis as well as liaison with persons of
They even sometimes follow a migration route that runs
various specialities. He should be resourceful in dealing
beyond the political boundaries of a country. Therefore,
with problems and conflicts in the processes of
it is important that the laws address the links between
planning, designing, and management. Moreover, the
environments and specially the activities allowed
leader must be competent in the modern methods of
outside the protectorate. This will certainly necessitate
management such as maps designed by the computer,
coordination between the various authorities inside and
understanding remote sensing data, preparing graphics
outside the country for the sake of sustainable use and
for locations in the protectorate, the capability to
conservation of marine resources.
analyse underwater organisms and underwater
Finally, the laws must address the issue of
photography.
protectorate's boundaries and compensation for
World System of Marine Protectorates:
inhabitants affected by the establishment of such
protectorate. Moreover, definitions must be clear-cut
The need for scientific and practical methods of marine
and intelligible.
environmental and resources management appeared in
the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1962, the First
Criteria for the Selection of Protectorates:
International Conference on National Parks was held to
The criteria for selecting marine protectorates include
issue proposals and legislation organising state's
biogeography; wildlife; economic, scientific, social, and
sovereignty for the use of the seabed and its resources.
ecological importance; in addition to suitability and
These regulations were not confined to the territorial
national or international importance.
waters of countries, but they included the international
waters as well.
Guidelines for Planning, Designing and Management
of Marine Protectorates:
In 1958, four international conventions, collectively
First: Planning:
labelled as Geneva Sea Law Convention, were
convened. Some concerned international organizations
Planning means the process of strategic development to
were established, including the International Maritime
survey an area as a potential protectorate. This process
Organization, which was mandated to control marine
requires collection of all information about the area
pollution from ships. The United Nations Convention
either by experts and technicians or in collaboration
on the Law of the Sea, including regulation of fishing in
with the local residents. Such information includes the
the Exclusive Economic Zone, was elaborated. This
geographical location of the area, the biological
was followed by legislation concerning the
resources, climate, and its potentiality to be managed as
establishment of marine protectorates.
one unit for a specific use or as an integral unit for
multiple uses.
The seventies saw certain regional agreements geared to
protect the marine environment, such as the Ramsar
Such information must then be reviewed and analysed
Treaty for protection of wetlands and water-birds, the
to understand obstacles, problems and difficulties
World Heritage of UNESCO and the United Nations
facing the present and expected activities. At this stage,
Environment Programme (UNEP) which adopted the
risks facing nature conservation and environmental
Regional Seas Programme which includes PERSGA
management should be defined and the objectives of the
and ROPME. Similarly, UNESCO adopted several
proposed protectorate set forth.
programmes such as Man and the Biosphere, Coastal
Second: Management:
Zone Programme and IOC.
Protectorate management is the process of control and
In the 1980s, remarkable activities were observed in the
channelling the proposed solutions such as conducting
international arena from WWF and IUCN. The latter
surveys, implementing day-to-day follow-up schedules
played an important role in encouraging coastal states
and formulating the regulatory procedures to best
to establish marine protectorates and provided them
achieve the objectives of the protectorate. This will
with technical assistance. Accordingly a series of
involve a team of multiple specialities, whose members
protectorates were declared around the world. Thus, in


Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 5

---

1985, the number of marine protectorates reached 430
Planning for combating oil spills;
in 69 countries compared to 118 in 27 countries in
Regional and international conventions;
1970.
The experience of Saudi Arabia in developing a
At the Earth Summit in 1992 in Brazil, the world
national contingency plan;
community adopted further international conventions,
Dispersants;
particularly the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Properties and fate of oil;
IUCN adopted the World System of Marine
Protectorates, with the major objective of marine
Bioremediation;
conservation and sustainable development.
Care and maintenance of equipment;
In 1995, the World System of Marine Protectorates was
Boom deployment;
published in five volumes detailing 1,306 protected
Containment, recovery and storage;
areas declared by coastal states. The number of coral
Debris transportation;
reef protectorates has risen to reach 274, whereas
Response strategies;
mangrove protected areas is in the range of 700. Most
marine protectorates are located in the tropical and
Shoreline cleanup;
semi-tropical regions, characterised by biological
Care for wildlife during the Gulf War;
diversity of great extent.
Navigation risk assessment;

KSA's experience in settling natural resource damages
Dr. Moustafa M. Fouda
claims;
Fisheries Science & Technology
Issues in response to catastrophic spills;
Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman
Role of public awareness in combating oil spills.








Protection of Marine Ecosystems


of the Red Sea Coast - Yemen



A Regional Training Workshop on
During May and June of 1997 two consultants were
deployed in Yemen. The primary purpose of this
Oil Pollution Combating
deployment was to survey a sample of offshore marine
ecosystems to the north of Hodeidah, and coastal

marine ecosystems to the south of Hodeidah. Secondary
In the framework of the joint project between
purposes were to investigate further and to identify
ALECSO, PERSGA and UNEP, PERSGA will
impacts of human use on the marine environment,
organise a Regional Training Workshop on Oil
assess threats to the Yemen Red Sea environment and
Pollution Combating to be held in Jeddah during the
to assist in on-the-job training of Yemeni counterparts
period 20-24 December 1997 in cooperation with the
in marine environmental operations, methods and
Meteorology and Environmental Protection
survey techniques.
Administration (MEPA). The workshop will consist of
The most significant observations were as follows.
lectures presented by consultants from relevant
1. Large areas of coral reef exist in Yemeni Red Sea
international organizations and from the Region in
waters. All islands and shoals surveyed to the north and
addition to field visits. The existence of the Oil Spill
west of Hodeidah had adjacent reef complexes. As
Response Centre within MEPA, and its experience in
noted later, many corals on these reefs were dead, but
this field, were two important factors taken into account
this is believed to be a recent phenomenon. Additionally
when choosing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a venue
the limited areas surveyed to the south of Hodeidah also
for this Workshop.
generally showed reef development. The presence of
The Workshop will deal with the following topics:
extensive reefs in Yemen's waters had been discounted


Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 6

---

in previous accounts of the coral reefs of the Red Sea.
Sea - level information provided by tide-gauges will be
The surveys have thus disproved the theory that there
beneficial to shipping and coastal and harbour
are a few coral reefs in Yemen's waters.
development. On regional and global basis, such
information would assist the study of climate change.
2. Most of the reefs surveyed, especially those to the
The fishing industry would also benefit from this study
north and west of Hodeidah, had a high percentage of
in addition to correlation of sea level with marine
dead coral. The patterns of mortality between different
resources and physical parameters.
coral groups (branching versus plate versus massive,
Acropora sp. versus Porites sp.) varied from area to
In 1981 the Division of Marine Science of UNESCO
area. Interpretation of these differing mortality patterns
prepared a study of a plan for a network of tide-gauges
may lead to conclusions regarding the cause of
for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in cooperation with
mortality. Possible causes of mortality being considered
the Programme for the Environment of the Red Sea and
include Crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, snail
Gulf of Aden. Accordingly a consultant was sent to
infestations (Drupella spp), heat stress from high or
Egypt and Sudan to investigate the status of tide-gauges
rapidly changeable water temperatures, anoxic
in these two countries. The Consultant submitted his
conditions and excessive solar irradiation. This type of
report and recommendations to UNESCO. The old tide-
coral mortality will not have been caused by fishing
gauge at Port Sudan, which has been operating since
pressure, whether shrimp trawling, net fishing, or line
1960, was recommended to be replaced by a new one.
fishing.
Thus, within the framework of a joint project between
3. Most of the areas of the reef surveyed south of
the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific
Ghulay Fiqah had less coral mortality. Reefs around
Organization (ALECSO), UNESCO and PERSGA, the
Mayyun, Avoces Rock and north of Dhubab were in
former funded the purchase of three tide-gauge systems
good condition with a high percentage of live corals.
for Port Sudan, Aden, and Hodeidah at a total amount
of US$ 33,000. UNESCO covered the expenses of the
4. Most reefs surveyed contained large fish populations.
engineer who installed the system at Port Sudan. The
However, many reefs seemed to show the effects of
other two systems should be installed at Aden and
considerable line-fishing pressure. This was evident
Hodeidah in the beginning of December this year.
from the lack of large predatory fish particularly
serranids (groupers) lutjanids (snappers) and lethranids
It should be mentioned that the Assistant Coordinator
(emperors). Populations were dominated by fish not
of PERSGA visited Aden and Hodeidah and met the
caught by line fishing - scarids (parrotfish), acanthurids
authorities in the two ports to investigate the most
(surgeonfish), haemulids (sweetlips), and the smaller
appropriate ways of installing the systems when the
lutjanids.
consultant arrives in early December 1997.

5. No obvious oil pollution in the form of oil slicks or
tar balls was observed on offshore reefs and beaches.
Meeting of the PERSGA
This is in contrast to tar balls seen in 1996 on coastal
beaches in the area north of Hodeidah.
Executive Committee
6. High levels of litter were evident on all beaches

visited but litter was less prevalent far offshore in the
During its Second Meeting in Jeddah (26 October
Az Zubayr Island group compared to mainland and
1996), the PERSGA Council formed an Executive
near-shore island coastal areas.
Committee to follow up PERSGA activities, budget,
Dr. Ali Douable
and the implementation of projects. The objectives were
CTA, GEF/Yemen Project
to follow the general trends in most regional and
Hodeidah
international organizations, facilitate the tasks of the

PERSGA Secretariat and to reduce the administrative
Tide Gauge Systems for
expenditure of the Council meeting every year.
The Committee was formed in the following manner:
Sudan and Yemen
(a) The present country chairing the Council -

chairman
(b) The following country chairing the Council -
deputy chairman


Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 7

---

(c) The previous country chairing the Council -
member
(d) ALECSO also as an observer member.
(e) PERSGA Secretary General - member and the
Secretary of the Committee.
The Executive Committee will hold its first meeting at
the Headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo on
Thursday 6 November 1997. The meeting will be
followed by two other meetings:
1. The Executive Bureau for the Arab Ministerial
Council Responsible for Environmental Affairs
(8 and 9 November 1997);
2. The Ninth Session for the Arab Ministerial Council
Responsible for Environmental Affairs (10 and 11
November 1997).
Among the topics to be discussed in the Committee
meeting are the draft PERSGA Staff and Financial
Rules, selection of an external auditor for PERSGA,
and the follow up of the project briefs of the Strategic
Action Programme for the Red and Gulf of Aden
(SAP).

Al Sambouk is produced at the PERSGA office
by Dr Dirar Nasr (Editor).
Translation by Dr Dirar Nasr and Mr. Yassin
H. Yassin.
Graphics by Dr David Olsen (MEPA).
Additional copies can be obtained from
PERSGA, PO Box 53662, Jeddah 21583, Saudi
Arabia.
Tel: 966 2 657 3224;
Fax: 966 2 652 1901.


Al Sambouk, No. 6, October 1997, page 8

---