A tar spill was reported at the Gedor Sea Reserve in Hadera in northern Israel on Tuesday, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced on Thursday morning.
The Nature and Parks Authority was made aware of the spill after a resident of Mikhmoret sent photos of the tar contamination. The source of the contamination is as of yet unclear.
"I came for an early morning tour of the reserve and saw that the entire length of the coastline and also beyond the boundaries of the reserve is contaminated with tar," said Guy Levian, the director of the marine unit in the Center district.
Levian notified the Environmental Protection Ministry and the Nature and Parks Authority worked in coordination with the Hadera municipality to clean the stretch of beach.
The Nature and Parks Authority stressed that tar pollution causes damage to protected natural assets, including animals and flora.
Past tar pollution incidents on Israel's beaches
In 2021, a large oil spill led to dozens of tons of tar washing up on beaches across Israel, causing extreme harm to Israel's marine environment and causing NIS 50 million in damages. A massive cleanup operation was conducted by volunteers and Israeli authorities.
The spill in 2021 was linked to the Iranian-owned oil tanker Emerald, which was carrying 90,000 tons of crude oil from Iran to Syria, according to an investigation by the Environmental Protection Ministry and international shipping journal Lloyd’s List.
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