[Coral-List] Please help us save the coral reefs of the northern Red Sea.

[Yossi Loya]

Dear coral-list,

I received some queries from friends and colleagues concerning the recent
"Israeli scientist's letter" (sent to the coral-list by Elinor Nadir and
Na'ama-Rose) calling for help in saving the unique coral reefs of the
northern Red Sea by joining the petition to stop the recent initiative to
transport petroleum from the Persian Gulf states to Eilat, Israel, from
there to a Mediterranean port, and onward to Europe.



This is to strongly endorse this petition which I am among hundreds of
Israeli scientists (marine biologists, geologists, ecologists, geographers,
economists, and urban planners) that signed it. Suffice to remind you the
dire consequences to the Coral Nature Reserve of Eilat during the '70s,
when an average of 3-4 oil spills occurred every month covering the entire
area black with oil.



To remind you of the essence of the plan below is a quote from this letter.



"According to the plan, every year dozens of huge tankers will unload their
petroleum and distillate contents at the EAPC pier, which borders the Eilat
Coral Reef Nature Reserve. From there, these materials will flow through
antiquated pipelines for the entire length of the Arava and Negev deserts
to the Ashqelon depot in the Mediterranean where they will be transferred
to tankers bound for Europe. This deal exposes the entire Gulf of Eilat /
Aqaba, the Sinai coasts and coral reefs, as well as the Mediterranean coast
and the landmasses in between, to a huge danger, be it from leaks,
accidents, or intentional sabotage, events which are just a matter of time
in this volatile part of the world.



I would like to encourage you to join us in signing the letter. An added
International list of experts will definitely add significant weight and
impact on decision-makers.



In order to add your name to the list of signatures in the letter, please
send an email to the following addresses (tzofitkd at gmail.com or
Youval at zalul.org.il), with your name, title, country, and area of
expertise.

Thank you and best wishes for 2021.
Yossi



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Yossi Loya, PhD

Professor (emeritus) of Marine Ecology

School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences

Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel

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