Kamchatka is one of Russia’s remotest regions, famous for its pristine nature and active volcanoes. When the event first came to light in late September, reports said that the waters on Khalaktyr beach had changed colour and had a peculiar smell. Residents who used the Pacific beaches complained of vomiting, fever, rashes and swollen eyelids. Environmental group Greenpeace described the incident as an ecological disaster. It has called for an “independent, transparent investigation” and sent its teams of scientists to the region.

As surfers posted videos of a yellow-tinged sea earlier this month, the situation sparked concerns of significant marine pollution. Photographs of the tourist hotspot Khalaktyrsky Beach showed the sand-strewn with dead, Sea urchins, octopuses, seals and fish. Reportedly, hundreds of sea creatures were killed and an area as wide as 25 miles was impacted. Meanwhile, surfers reported signs of impaired eyesight and poisoning, and residents continued to complain of sickness. Initial analysis found oil products and phenol in the water. The potential toxic spill was investigated by the officers and some pointed to two nearby military test sites as the cause. However, On Friday, Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman for the Investigating Committee, said that those seeking medical attention did not show any symptoms of poisoning. .” No heavy metals were found in samples of water, soil or sea creatures. All this confirms the version of natural pollution, including as a result of phytoplankton blooms,” she said. Ms Petrenko also claimed that the elevated levels of these substances were not critical and that they had been in the region since 1970. Natural Resources Minister Dmitry Kobylkin told Russian media it was still not clear why this was happening and it was important to find out why the algae ware so toxic.

While the harmful algae are identified by the Russian authorities as a “natural” cause, scientists have pointed to global warming and nutrient pollution as the main reason behind a recent surge in the growth of worldwide toxic algae blooms. “Following its expedition to Kamchatka, Greenpeace published a study last week claiming that” none of the compounds contained in the samples by the Russian authorities or Greenpeace Russia could cause such serious consequences.
As a possible cause of the huge death-off, the environmental group named a man-made catastrophe and “natural” causes and requested an independent investigation. Greenpeace said that the long-term consequences of what it described as an environmental disaster will be apparent next year when sea otters and other mammals will face a food shortage such as sea urchins.

By Jumana Jabeer