Mass Fish Die-Off Near Netanya Sparks Environmental Crisis Fears

Sami Ali of the Jisr az-Zarqa Fishermen's Committee has warned of potential environmental repercussions following the discovery of large numbers of dead mullet fish at the mouth of the Falik stream south of Netanya. He urged authorities to conduct urgent and transparent tests to determine the cause of the phenomenon.

Ali stated that recent days have seen several unusual events along the country's coastlines, most recently the discovery of dead fish in the area where the stream meets the sea. He noted that while mullet can live in both fresh and saltwater, the current scale of the die-off raises questions about its true cause.

Possible explanations for the fish deaths include rising water temperatures, decreased oxygen levels, or the influx of pollutants and pesticides from agricultural areas and factories. Ali indicated that the Professional Fishermen's Organization has contacted relevant authorities requesting water and fish analyses but has yet to receive clear results or an official explanation.

Ali linked this incident to a recent event off the coast of Ashkelon, where fishing was banned in a large area due to the spraying of chemicals to combat an exceptional bloom of algae that affected desalination plants. The Water Authority had stopped pumping water to large agricultural areas before chemicals were sprayed along approximately 9 kilometers of the coast and one kilometer into the sea.

He expressed concern about the nature, quantity, and concentration of the chemicals used, their potential impact on marine life and the seabed, and the livelihood of fishermen. Ali accused officials of withholding information, calling the current partial reports insufficient and demanding that the public be informed about the causes of the fish deaths and the consequences of chemical use, citing potential impacts on marine ecosystems and food security.

He emphasized that continued ambiguity and the failure to publish test results could exacerbate public fears, especially given the recurrence of unusual environmental incidents along the Israeli coastline recently.