Ecological disaster mars Morocco's Moulouya River

A rare bird species is disappearing as organic pollutants foul the mouth of the river.

By Mawassi Lahcen for Magharebia in Casablanca – 11/08/11

The scenic mouth of the Moulouya River, one of the most important nature reserves in Morocco and an attraction for tourists and swimmers alike, has turned desolate as the scent of decaying fish fills the air. For almost a month the last 50km of the nearly 600km-long river has been lined by thousands of dead fish.

Environmental activists in the region have blamed the sugar factory, SUCRAFOR, in the town of Zaio.

"The scale of the disaster is limited, as it starts where the Subra River coming from Zaio pours into the Moulouya River. It is known that drainage channels emerging from the sugar factory in Zaio flow into the Subra River. Likewise, the operating period of the sugar factory starts in June with the beet harvest in the area of Berkan," president of the Humans and the Environment association Najib Bachiri told Magharebia.

However, Nahid Saleh, director of the sugar factory, denied any relationship between the activity of the plant and the ecological disaster. In a meeting with heads of regional environmental organizations he reviewed investments and efforts made to minimize the negative impacts of the company on its natural surroundings. Saleh pointed out that the sugar factory installed new technology for the disposal of liquid waste by converting it into solid waste instead of having it flow into drainage channels.

Meanwhile, some local residents attributed the disaster to fuel smugglers, who dispose of smuggled fuel by dumping it into the river in order to evade border guards.

Some environmental experts maintain that the cause of the disaster is still unknown.

"We are almost certain that the death of fish resulted from the large and rapid shortage of oxygen in the river water," said Dafir Jamal Eddine, a court-certified environmental expert participating in an investigation of the disaster.

Dafir ruled out fuel as the cause, explaining that fuel has a distinctive smell, floats on water and evaporates quickly. It is thus easy to identify, and it could not cause a disaster of this size due to its rapid evaporation.

"We believe this shortage is due to the influx of large quantities of organic matter into the river, and that its oxidation led to the absorption of oxygen available in the waters of the river," he told Magharebia.

He added that analysis of samples taken from the water of the river and the dead fish is still not finished, and the results would make it possible to determine the type and origin of the organic materials and would likewise reveal whether there are other chemicals that contributed to the disaster.

The region's population is in a state of panic and fear. Some began talking about threats to cattle, sheep and crops that were watered with the contaminated river water during the first days of the disaster.

"In recent days, a cow died in my village. One cannot say for sure that it is due to contamination of the river, but I noticed that the behavior of cattle and sheep is unusual. And many fear the death of crops due to contamination of the water," said Elhadaoui Moustafa, a farmer in the Karpasha area traversed by the river.

Elhadaoui also said that some farmers have resorted to buying water instead of using river water for their crops and livestock.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/08/11/feature-03.