Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel s environment reporter.
Vets carrying out a post-mortem on February 21, 2021 on the corpse of the young fin whale washed up onto Nitzanim beach in southern Israel on February 18, 2021. (Assaf Kaplan, Israel Nature and Parks Authority)
Vets carrying out an autopsy Sunday of the young fin whale washed up on a beach in southern Israel on Thursday found black liquid in the animal’s lungs, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority reported.
Chief INPA vet Roni King said it was too early to connect the liquid either to the whale’s death or to the oil spill that has brought tar contamination to Israeli beaches, from Rosh Hanikra in the north to Ashkelon in the south.
Oil Spill Leads Israel To Close Beaches : NPR npr.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from npr.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
JERUSALEM - Israel closed all its Mediterranean beaches until further notice on Sunday, days after an offshore oil spill deposited tons of tar across mo.
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Feb. 21, 2021
The Environmental Protection, Interior and Health Ministries submitted a cabinet resolution this week on bolstering the country’s preparedness to deal with maritime pollution following the devastating oil spill that took place off Israel s shores Wednesday.
Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports the plan.
Her announcement, five days after large quantities of tar inundated Israel’s beaches, once again showed that only a major crisis can prod the government into action to protect the environment.
In addition to providing immediate funding to clean up the tar and rehabilitate the damage it caused to the environment, the resolution would bolster the ministry’s staff to help it deal with such incidents. The resolution also promises to enact a national plan for dealing with maritime pollution and pledges funding for local governments affected by the incident.