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Once famous for its exceptional wildlife, the Libyan island of Farwa risks becoming yet another victim of lawlessness in the war-torn North African country, activists fighting to save it warn.
An uninhabited 13 kilometer (eight mile) long sandbank cut at high tide in the far west of Libya, Farwa appears like an idyllic postcard, with date palms scattered over white sand beaches and surrounded by the sea Sparkling Mediterranean.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said Farwa is potentially the “most important coastal and marine site in western Libya, in terms of high marine and coastal biodiversity”.
But it faces a long list of threats, said Fawzi Dhane of local environmental group Bado, identifying illegal fishing and pollution as major concerns.
Climate change is also worsening the situation, making Farwa more vulnerable to the pressures already placed on its fragile environment.
Farwa faces a long list of threats, say environmental activists, including illegal fishing and pollution. By Mahmud Turkia (AFP) For decades there were few visitors other than occasional school trips to the island.
The former Libyan dictator Muammar Kadhafi dreamed of building a luxury seaside resort there, with “floating” villas and a golf course.
But Gaddafi was ousted and killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, and Libya has since worked to contain violence and political unrest.
Explosives fishing
In a country awash with weapons, some find throwing grenades into water an easy way to fish – a destructive method that kills everything in the blast zone.
“The fishermen don’t respect anything,” said Dhane, blaming the boats in Zuwara harbor, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the east.
Former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi dreamed of building a luxury resort in Farwa. By Mahmud TURKIA (AFP) “They fish all the time, in an unregulated way – and they fish with explosives.”
Endangered loggerhead turtles are also injured, according to the activist.
“Turtles are sometimes caught in fishing nets, when they are not killed by fishermen who fear their bites,” Dhane explained.
The Bado association works to protect the broods of turtles laid on the beach from predators and people who come to dig up the eggs.
The island, which sits near the border with Tunisia, is made up of sand dunes that stretch for 4.7 square kilometers (1.81 square miles). Its lagoon and salt marshes are also home to pink flamingos.
Climate change makes Farwa more vulnerable to the pressures already exerted on its fragile environment. By Mahmud TURKIA (AFP) One of the only buildings is a ruined lighthouse built in the 1920s under Italian colonial rule.
Farwa is one of the most important areas in Libya for many migratory birds, according to Tarek Jdeidi of the University of Tripoli. It is a key stopover for those traveling over Africa to rest before crossing the Mediterranean towards Europe.
Today, Farwa has become a popular spot for Libyan vacationers, with dozens of visitors every weekend.
“They leave their trash behind,” Dhane sighed.
Chemical pollution
Another threat comes from the nearby Abu Kammash petrochemical plant, which has for years “leaked heavy metals” into the ground and the sea, according to Dhane.
While the complex has been abandoned, the impact of the dangerous pollution “is still being felt,” he added.
Shawky Muammar, an archaeologist who has conducted excavations on the island, uncovering tools and tombs from Roman times, calls the pollution of the dilapidated plant an “environmental disaster.”
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said Farwa is potentially the “most important coastal and marine site in western Libya, in terms of high marine and coastal biodiversity”. By Mahmud TURKIA (AFP) He also expressed concern that rising sea levels due to climate change could overwhelm the low-lying island.
“It risks being swallowed up if steps are not taken to try to contain the sea,” he said.
In recent years, oil-rich Libya has been divided between two rival administrations backed by foreign powers and a myriad of militias.
After a peace deal last year, an interim unity government was agreed in March ahead of elections scheduled for December.
But that didn’t change anything for the island.
In the meantime, environmental groups have made it their mission to protect Farwa, while hoping for a return to stability and the rule of law.
Dhane said he “organized conferences and awareness campaigns in schools” in an attempt to explain the threats the island faces.
And in partnership with international organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, “we are trying to educate fishermen,” he added.
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