2023-06-13 17:47:53
No talk has been raised in the Egyptian media and social media platforms since Thursday (May 8) about the incident of a shark devouring a Russian tourist in the city of Hurghada Overlooking the Red Sea. Immediately, the Russian Consulate in Hurghada urged Russian tourists to exercise caution while swimming and abide by any swimming bans that may be imposed by the local authorities.
On the official level, the Ministry of Environment decided to catch the shark that caused the death of the Russian young man, to dissect it and determine the reason for its exit to the beach, while it imposed a two-day ban on “swimming and water sports” on the beaches near the beach that witnessed the incident.
Indeed, a video spread on social networking sites, it was said that it was of the process of catching a shark with the help of some fishermen who went to the beach after being summoned by the competent authorities.
And this comes at a time when you hope Egypt In attracting many tourists to its many beaches during the new tourist season, hoping to revive its hard currency resources, especially since tourism is an important source of foreign exchange and the labor market in the country, with revenues amounting to about $11 billion in the fiscal year ending in June last year.
Safety procedures
And the Egyptian authorities announced taking steps, including obligating hotels to put marine fishing nets with special specifications in order to prevent sharks from reaching the beach, while the Governor of the Red Sea confirmed that this matter would be applied while preserving the life of coral reefs..
In turn, Magdy Sadek, member of the Chamber of Companies andTravel and tourism agencies in the Federation of Tourist ChambersHe pointed out that “a crisis management committee was formed that has already taken decisions, while other decisions are still under study.”.”
And in an interview with DW He added, “The decisions taken included the need for each hotel and resort to appoint lifeguards who have received training courses at the highest level, in the beach area, while stationing them in high places such as towers so that they can monitor any movement on its way towards the swimming area.”“.
And he continues, “A study is underway to deploy drones that roam the coastal areas in order to monitor flocks of fish or their behavior, with cooperation with divers and cruise ship organizers to listen to their views on ways to provide protection for tourists on the Egyptian coast.”“.
Sharks rarely attack tourists unless they exceed the permissible limits, says the Egyptian Ministry of Environment.
The reason and the solution?
It is noteworthy that this accident is not the first of its kind to occur near the Egyptian shores, as it took place in July 2022 Two tourists were killed after being attacked by a shark in the south of Hurghada.
And in 2018, the remains of a Czech tourist were found on a beach in the city of Marsa Alam on the Red Sea, after an official confirmed that he had decided to swim in an area where there are sharks, according to Agence France-Presse..
And in 2015, a German tourist in his fifties was killed after he was attacked by a shark while he was swimming during a cruise in the tourist city of Qusayr, in the southeast of the country..
In light of this, Dr. Essam Hajji, a researcher at the University of Southern California and NASA, presented the scientific explanation behind the repeated incidents of sharks attacking humans on the coasts of the Middle East..
and speaking to DW Arab, he said, “These accidents occur due to the deterioration of the environmental situation on the beaches, meaning the deterioration of the marine environment, which harms the public health of the beaches.“.
He added, “In light of this urban sprawl, the rains, when they fall, do not sweep the dust into the sea, which impedes the arrival of the minerals needed to feed the marine environment into the depths of the water, which ultimately leads to the deterioration of the marine environment. Other creatures like sharks are more aggressive.”
Hajji, who has conducted extensive research and written numerous articles on the impact of climate and environmental change on the region, noted The Middle EastHe pointed out that the solution lies in carrying out environmental studies before implementing any tourism projects near the beaches.
He said, “More studies must be conducted to preserve the marine environment in tourist resorts. With regard to urban sprawl, it must be ensured that these facilities will not impede the process of supplying the beaches with dust and minerals that are carried by torrents and rains, in order to preserve the diversity of the marine environment.”“.
Researcher Issam Hajji says, “These accidents occur due to the deterioration of the environmental situation on the beaches, meaning the deterioration of the marine environment, which harms the public health of the beaches.”
social media momentum
Immediately after the incident occurred, some social media users circulated a video that they said documented the moment the shark attacked the Russian tourist, who seemed to be crying out for help as he struggled at sea before the tiger-type fish came upon him in a period of time not exceeding two minutes.
However, the publication of this clip drew criticism from some, including Egyptian businessman Naguib Cyrus, brother of Samih, founder of the famous resort of El Gouna on the Red Sea coast, calling in a tweet to stop publishing the video because it harms tourism, which sparked ridicule from social media pioneers.
Sarcastic tips
Since the incident, television channels have sought to host experts to talk about how to avoid being attacked by sharks that live in the Red Sea, but there are limited incidents of them attacking humans.
Some social media pioneers gave advice in case of seeing sharks, and also mentioned the times when it is preferable to avoid swimming, such as dawn, because they are the times when sharks approach the beaches, they said.
Mohamed Farhan
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