Six sea turtles perish in abandoned fishing nets near Bimmah Beach

MUSCAT, SEPT 23
A devastating entanglement incident near Bimmah Beach, located past Qurayat near the Sinkhole, has claimed the lives of at least six sea turtles after they became trapped in massive abandoned fishing nets.
The turtles, locally known as Sharfaf, were all entangled and the incident highlights the ongoing environmental threat posed by 'ghost gear' — discarded or lost fishing gear left in open waters — which poses a lethal risk to marine life and delicate underwater ecosystems in Oman.
The site is a high-traffic zone for sea turtles and supports critical local coral reefs.
​The scale of discarded gear was bigger than expected. Rescuers discovered two separate abandoned nets spanning a combined length of 1,400 metres.
​The rapid-response team comprised specialists from the Environment Authority (EA) supported by volunteer divers from the Divers Planet Diving Center.
​'Our team from the Environment Authority reached the location at 7:30 am, but unfortunately, it was already too late for the turtles. We worked continuously in the water until 2.00 pm. The nets had severely wrapped around the underlying coral structures,' said Yahya al Hooti from the Environment Authority Diving Team.
​Environmental impact and disentangle meant is beyond the tragic loss of sea turtles, as the heavy netting could have caused structural damage to the local reef bed, snagging and tearing at live coral formations if the rescuers had not intervened.
​After hours of underwater operation, the joint diving team successfully disentangled and retrieved all 1,400 metres of net, preventing further casualties to passing marine life.
​Environmental officials emphasise that overcoming the reckless abandonment of fishing equipment is essential to protecting Oman's marine biodiversity. The Environment Authority is working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources for public awareness.