§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the secretary of state for the environment if he will make a further statement on the extent of the ecological damage caused by the deliberate pollution of the Gulf and Kuwait.
§ Mr. BaldryReports available to me indicate that substantial environmental damage has occurred along parts of the coastline of Saudi Arabia between Khafji and the island of Abu Ali as a result of the oil slicks caused by deliberate release of oil into the Gulf. Damage to habitats such as seagrass beds, salt marshes and mangroves which are of particular importance as nursery grounds for fish and shellfish is likely to be severe and it has been estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 bird mortalities have occurred. However, a full picture must await a detailed ecological assessment of the coastline. In addition the most recent surveys show that offshore patches of light and weathered oil are now moving down the Gulf and affecting the coastline of Bahrain and Qatar.
Air emissions from the burning oilfields of Kuwait will also have significant local environmental effects through reduced sunlight, heat and isolated cases of acid deposition equivalent to the worst cases experienced in Europe in recent years.
Among the international experts and organisations seeking to assist the gulf states in responding to these problems, the United Nations Environment Programme has now put in hand a programme for a more comprehensive assessment of environmental damage arising from the Gulf conflict which also draws on the expertise of the other United Nations agencies concerned.