12 UAE beaches to receive Blue Flag

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Dubai: As many as 12 beaches in the UAE are set to receive the internationally recognised Blue Flag a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 3,850 beaches and marinas in 48 countries around the globe.

The Emirates Wildlife Society, in association with WWF (EWS-WWF), yesterday announced that 12 beaches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai met the 32 criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services.

The Blue Flag is a highly prestigious and well-recognised symbol and serves to highlight coastal excellence internationally so for the UAE to now have an additional 12 Blue Flags awarded is a real achievement for the country. This news is very positive and places the UAE as a leader in the Blue Flag programme regionally, said Lisa Perry, Programmes Director at Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS)-World Wide Fund (WWF).

Since the pilot phase in 2011, the EWS-WWF team has been working with authorities and stakeholders to raise environmental standards of beaches and marinas nationwide. With these newly awarded sites listed below, the UAE now boasts a total of 24 Blue Flags across the emirates.

In Abu Dhabi, the Blue Flag beaches are at Al Bateen Marina, The Club beach, Sadiyat Island beach, Lagoon beach, Phase 2 beach, Hilton beach, Le Meridien, and Desert Islands on Sir Bani Yas

In Dubai, the Blue Flags will be erected on the beaches at Jumeirah Beach Hotel Marina, Jumeirah Beach Hotel beach, Le Royal Meridien beach, and the Sheraton Dubai Jumeirah Beach Resort beach.

Being able to award 12 more beaches and marinas with the Blue Flag across the UAE this year is very encouraging. It is the result of the hard work, commitment and determination put in by the site managers in each of the locations and will greatly benefit not only the conservation and protection of the UAEs coastline, but will also help to boost tourism, said Moaz Sawaf, Blue Flag Project Manager at EWS-WWF.

These newly awarded sites join a global list of more than 4,000 beaches and marinas across 46 different countries, from the tropical shores of the Caribbean islands to the rugged cliffs of New Zealand.

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12 UAE beaches to receive Blue Flag

Dogs poisoned by slug bait on Auckland beaches

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Dog owners at some of Auckland's most popular beaches are baffled as to why anyone would lay deadly slug bait indiscriminately in a public area.

At least seven dogs have suffered seizures which are suspected to have been the result of eating the poison while walking at Kohimarama and St Heliers beaches in east Auckland.

Kohimarama Veterinary Clinic has sent a mass email to its clients warning them not to take their dogs to the beaches, after six dogs were treated for severe shaking leading to seizures; symptoms indicating they had eaten slug bait.

The dogs developed symptoms six to eight hours after visiting the beaches and required immediate treatment, the email said.

The clinic advised people to avoid taking their dogs to the beaches until the issue had been resolved.

Abbotts Way Veterinary Clinic in nearby Remuera confirmed that about two weeks ago they had also treated a dog thought to have been poisoned by metaldehyde - the active ingredient in slug bait.

While unable to go into specific details, nurse Yani Riley said the dog was thought to have been on one of the beaches prior to presenting at the clinic "tremoring and seizuring".

Treating dogs for metaldehyde poisoning mostly just involved supportive care and trying to keep them as calm as possible.

"With the seizuring they also tend to overheat so it's important they're kept cool ... with towels and things," she said.

Auckland Council media advisor Lydia Blatch the council had been alerted to the reports. "There have been no new cases since Tuesday and all dogs are recovering."

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Dogs poisoned by slug bait on Auckland beaches