Palm development caused fish deaths, say Sharjah officials :: Gulf News

The (dead) fish war of words between Dubai and Sharjah saw an escalation today:

Dubai: Ongoing construction work on The Palm, Deira, is threatening an environmental disaster, top Sharjah officials told Gulf News yesterday.

Sharjah officials have said a study of the waters of Qanat Al Qasba has found no chemical or biological pollution and blamed the Palm projects for the dead fish (pictured) that appeared recently near the entrance to the canal.

The ambitious project undertaken by Dubai-based developer Nakheel and its contractors was squarely blamed for the thousands of dead fish and dying marine life.
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"The result of the enquiries revealed that through marine currents, the fish drifted from Dubai waters into Sharjah waters and subsequently into Qanat Al Qasba," the statement said.

Abdul Aziz Al Midfa, Director-General of Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, told Gulf News yesterday that the environment authorities have done comprehensive tests and investigations on the dead fish and the quality of water in Sharjah.
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Dubai Municipality officials, however, said there was no dead fish found in the waters around Deira palm area.

More on this story here, here, here, and here.

UPDATE, 31 October. The saga continues:

Commenting on the issue James Wilson, CEO of Nakheel and Dubai Waterfront Company, said: “In the creation of Nakheel’s waterfront developments, one of our primary goals is to ensure that construction not only has a minimal impact on the environment, but that it actually enhances the environment above the original, predevelopment status.
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Engineer Yehia Ramadan Al Bulooshi, Head of the Environment Section of Sharjah Municipality strongly believes that the dead fish drifted from outside to the Qanat Al Qasba and Khalid Lagoon. “The examination samples taken from the water of Qanat Al Qasba and Khalid lagoon showed that the water is not threatening the marine environment and that there are no other factors that might have lead to the death of the fish. Tests shows that the all the fish floated into the lagoon and the canal belly up. . . ."
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DUBAI — Speaking to Khaleej Times on condition of anonymity, a senior marine biologist, pointed out that the reports on the claims of Sharjah officials do not explain how exactly the fish died and how they ended up in the lagoon and canal. “There's more to these allegations than meets the eye,” he said, adding that the waters in the Khalid Lagoon and the Al Qasba Canal are already polluted with effluents from barges and boats and sewage, which is released into the water body.