NATION MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014
Research group calls for Musandam to be declared World Heritage Site M Najmuz Zafar Muscat
An international environmental research and nature conservation group, which has been doing coral surveys in Musandam for the last five years, has called for the peninsula to be declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve and ultimately, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The group also believes that the area might hold answers to a warming climate and rapid acidification of oceans. Between October 6 and 12, 2013, Biosphere Expeditions conducted its fifth annual coral reef survey using the Reef Check methodology in eight different dive sites along the northern Musandam peninsula coastline. Dr Matthias Hammer, who
founded Biosphere Expeditions in 1999 and has led the Musandam expeditions, in the survey report published in April, recommends actions to declare the Musandam peninsula a Unesco Biosphere Reserve and ultimately a Unesco World Heritage Site. “I believe Musandam should be a World Heritage Site, because it has undoubtedly the best reefs of the region with many unique features such as the ability to survive in high temperatures and salinity. Who knows, perhaps the answer to a warming climate and saltier, more acidic oceans lies hidden in Oman,” Hammer said in an email interview with Muscat Daily. Earlier surveys had found that there was pressure on the reefs
Biosphere Expeditions believes that the area might hold answers to a warming climate (Source: Kelvin Aitken)
from diving and fishing communities resulting in low average numbers of some fish and invertebrate populations, suggesting that any additional stress may lead to coral die-off. ‘However, the grouper popu-
Expatriate’s body identified two months after his death, to be repatriated soon Joseph Benny Muscat
The process to repatriate the body of an Indian who died in Sohar on February 26 this year has been initiated. The repatriation of the body of Vadakkath Appu Rajendran, a native of Thrissur in the south Indian state of Kerala, had been delayed due to absence of identification documents. The body was kept at the Sohar Hospital mortuary. Rajendran’s friend Chavakkad Kunhan Suresh, also a Thrissur native, identified the body and submitted an undertaking in this regard to the Indian Embassy. A copy of the undertaking is with
Muscat Daily. Yousif Salim, a Sohar-based social worker said, “Rajendran had been working in Oman without valid documents for the past 20 years.” Salim said Rajendran’s roommates called for an ROP ambulance after he complained of severe chest pain on February 26. “His condition worsened in the ambulance. He was taken to Sohar Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead,” said Salim, adding that Rajendran’s family could be informed only on April 20. “A roommate managed to find the telephone number of Rajendran’s wife in India and in-
formed her about her husband’s death. Based on information given by the roommate, she got in touch with social workers in Sohar, who identified the body as Rajendran’s,” Salim added. “We managed to get a nativity certificate from the Kerala government and have submitted it to the Indian Embassy. We are trying to get the required permission from the Indian Embassy to repatriate the body. We are hopeful that the formalities will be completed soon.” A senior official in the Indian Embassy’s social welfare department said the process to send the body is on in cooperation with concerned Omani authorities.
Continued from page 01 Dr Juma bin Ali al Juma, chairman of its founders’ committee said, “The vision of Muscat University is to create a centre of excellence where academic achievement directly contributes to the development of an entrepreneurial culture in Oman and becomes a positive force for expansion of the private sector. “We believe that these foundations will enable the university to ensure that the next generation of Omani youth is academically equipped to face future challenges. “We look forward to working with Isis Innovation, who are global leaders in field of technology commercialisation and entrepreneurship education and who will help us to support our academic vision.” Tom Hockaday, managing director of Isis Innovation said, “We are close to deciding the number
of students that we can take in, and the proposal is that the first foundation programme students will be accepted in September 2016 and the first undergraduate course will begin in September 2017. We are looking for premises for the university, including in Bausher and Azaiba. It will certainly be in Muscat.” He added, “The one-year foundation course will focus on development of soft and technical skills. We will develop Muscat University blending needs of Omani students with what the country needs. In the next several weeks, decisions will be made by the founders, advised and assisted by Isis Innovation, on the exact physical location of Muscat University and on the specific academic programmes that will be offered.” The founders’ committee includes senior international academics, university administrators
from prestigious institutions including the University of Oxford, leaders in innovation and prominent businesses owners. Eugene L Rogan, director of the Middle East Centre at the University of Oxford said, “It will start with a narrow focus which includes two or three areas of specialisation. I would imagine that it is going to begin with those areas that will best prepare young Omanis and people from the region to engage in the global market. “We are looking at disciplines of management, finance and accounting. I believe that there will be a real drive to create a school of engineering as soon as the campus is built. To begin with, the subjects that have been decided between the founders and Isis are management and engineering. Later, areas of law and medicine will be developed.”
ROP NEWS
Two held for stealing from car The Directorate General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations has arrested two Arab nationals for stealing money from a car near Seeb Corniche after breaking its window glass.
An ROP officer had noticed the two moving in a suspicious manner. Inquiries about them revealed that they had stolen from a car parked at the cor-
niche. They were arrested from near Muscat International Airport. Police recovered cash, wallets and cellphones from the duo.
Three robbery accused arrested Following a complaint, officials from the North Batinah Police Command, represented by Shinas police, have arrested three persons on charges of robbing a shop in the wilayat. The accused have admitted to the crime and have been referred to the Public Prosecution.
lations were healthier than in previous years’ expeditions. And the fact that the numbers (of animals greater than 30cm size) are about double of previous expedition surveys indicate that there may be something of a re-
covery in the population. Snapper populations are considerable at most shallow sites, and are joined deeper down by populations of medium to large emperor and bream,' the survey found. However, Hammer also warned that issues remain. “Although we have noticed an increase in fish population, particularly grouper in our latest survey, it would definitely not be right to say that overfishing is no longer a problem.” The report therefore recommends that additional projects should be supported by local government and NGOs ranging from studies on fish landing, patrolling of and new legislation for the diving and fishing communities beyond the Khor Najd and
Hablain inlets, where the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in 2013 restricted fishing to handline only. Net, longline and trap fishing was banned. Extension of Marine Protected Area (MPA) measures or a network of MPAs, including the installation and monitoring of fixed and marked mooring buoys were also recommended. Hammer also said that the group needs urgent support from public or private sources. “Biosphere Expeditions is currently heavily subsidising the research costs and efforts. We will not be able to do this forever and some financial support from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) was requested some time ago. Our request is still with MECA. “So if there are companies out there willing to support the conservation of Oman’s unique heritage, for example as part of their corporate social responsibility programmes, I would love to hear from them,” he added.
MUSCAT DAILY 03 4 ISWK students, bus driver hurt in Ruwi collision Our Correspondent Muscat
Four students of Indian School Wadi Kabir (ISWK) were injured when the bus carrying them collided with another vehicle near Sheraton Hotel in Ruwi on Sunday afternoon. The driver of the bus, a 28 year old Omani national, also sustained moderate injuries. The condition of a 14 year old Bangladeshi student is reported to be serious. An official from the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulances said that the Bangladeshi student is being treated at Khoula Hospital. A 17 year old student also sustained moderate injuries. Two other students - aged 12 and 14 received minor injuries. A teacher at ISWK said, “Investigations are on to know what caused the accident.”