As the Gulf of Mexico oil leak continues to dominate headlines, Egypt experienced its own oil-related ecological menace, reports Mahmoud Bakr An oil slick of unknown origin has surfaced off the coast of Hurghada. Reports of the slick began on Friday, amid speculation that the oil had leaked either from a passing tanker or from an offshore oil facility. As the first signs of pollution hit Hurghada's tourist beaches, environmentalists warned of lasting damage to the coral reef and other marine life. The government reacted quickly, with ministers arriving at the scene, planes flying overhead, and experts sent to gauge the extent of the damage. Two parliamentarians, Ahmed Abu Taleb and Odette Awadallah, sent a report about the oil spill to People's Assembly Speaker Fathi Sorour, who asked the Tourism and Environment Committees to examine their findings. The head of the Fishermen's Society in Hurghada told reporters that the spill has damaged fishing nets and equipment, bringing fishing to a halt in the area just south of Hurghada. Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmi and Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Maged George both flew to the scene for a meeting with Red Sea Governor Magdi El-Qobeisi, who took them to the worst affected area. The governor then called experts to a meeting to discuss the impact of the oil spill. Although much of the oil has now been cleaned, residue remains on the beaches of the Social Club and several tourist resorts around Hurghada, including El-Gouna. Experts who have flown over the area between Ras Shoqeir and Hurghada suspected that the source of the leak could be one of the oil rigs situated just north of Hurghada. But the possibility of a spill from a passing tanker has not been ruled out. Efforts to clean the beaches began immediately, with local authorities receiving help from the Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs. So far, the area of the Social Club has been cleaned up, and most tourist resorts have reopened to the public. Speaking during his tour of Hurghada, George promised to assess the damage caused by the leak and look into the question of compensation. He said that his ministry would do all it could to minimise damage to marine life. George also instructed the Crisis Room at his ministry to pinpoint the source of the leak. The Crisis Room has already sent a team to the site, which reported the existence of scattered oil slicks off the coast. Coral reefs at Al-Fanadir, Abu Gallawa, Al-Sakhwa, Al-Erq and Abu Sadaf, have all been affected. Samples have been collected from the rigs of the oil companies working in the area in an attempt to determine who to blame for the leak. The Crisis Room has asked the Suez Canal Authority and the Sumid Company in Ain Sokhna to list the oil tankers that passed through the area on 15-16 June. PESCO (Petro-Environmental Services Company), a company that specialises in dealing with oil emergencies, has been asked to start cleaning operations.
