Ministry of Environment takes precautionary measures against jellyfish

CAIRO – 6 June 2018: In light of the increase in jellyfish numbers witnessed last year at Egyptian coasts, the Ministry of Environment is conducting various precautionary measures against any significant increase in jellyfish this year.

The preparations taken by the ministry regarding the issue include the registration of beaches, as the General Directorate of the Northern Protected Areas in the Ministry of Environment’s Nature Protection Department has decided to identify the number of beaches that may be exposed to jellyfish during the 2018 season.

The ministry clarified that teams have been established to monitor and collect data from different beaches, along with teams of rapid intervention in the natural reserves of the northern region.

The task force work includes establishing a sub-operation room parallel to the main operation room in the ministry to receive reports and complaints from different beaches, as well as the number of jellyfish spotted daily and record it, along with measurements of temperature, wind speed and direction, sea state and wave height.

The ministry pointed out that it will measure the quality of water and that it will take samples of the jellyfish for genetic analysis in the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF) in Alexandria and the central laboratories in the Red Sea regional branch.

The procedures of the ministry also include coordination with concerned authorities and ministries on measures and precautions to be followed in case of the jellyfish phenomenon becomes a widespread one.

In 2017, the shores of the North Coast and the Mediterranean cities of Alexandria and Port Said saw a surge in jellyfish numbers.