Bahraini and foreign ships operating in Gulf waters will soon have to meet international pollution standards that aim to protect marine life and the natural resources of the region. An international convention that comes into effect on August 1 next year will help to ensure that ships do not discharge oil, plastic and rubbish in to the sea, said Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Center director Captain Abdul Monem Mohammad Al Janahi. He said there was an average of 4,000 boats operating within regional waters everyday and many discharge waste oil and rubbish into the sea. Capt Al Janahi said the Gulf region was particularly vulnerable to the effects of pollution because of its shallow and slow moving water takes three to five years to circulate.
