Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 119, November 2014, pp. 1-13. | Page 4

4 The fin mammoth whale that has recently come ashore Kuwait's Failaka Island is said to have perished due to swallowing up some robes, according to an environmental authority (KUNA, 02.03.2014). These cords were stuck deep in the whale's mouth and are believed to have obstructed food intakes, said Talal Al-Serhan, in charge of marine environment sciences at the Scientific Club, in a statement on Sunday 02.03.2014. A club team worked for four hours to extract samples and make measurements of the dead whale but the task was difficult due to the corpse decaying and emission of some gases from it, he indicated, urging for hasty burial of the whale to avoid some more harmful effects (KUNA, 02.03.2014). The 14-meter Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) which was stranded on the Kuwaiti Failaka Island on Friday 28.02.2014. Source : Watannews. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=431743746971097&set=pcb.4317465703041 48&type=1&theater The Deputy Director General of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) for technical affairs Eng. Mohammad Al-Enezi said EPA is following up the incidents of fish perishing through a scientific methodology in order to provide credible information to the public opinion (KUNA, 03.03.2014). "Citizens have the right to know the causes of such incidents particularly after the death of a fin whale two days ago. EPA is probing these causes seriously and carefully as it usually does in such incidents," he told KUNA on Monday 03.03.2014. "Whales have a great value for scientific research given the fact that they are among the species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). "The EPA specialists are examining a recently dead whale; they opened three holes in its belly to get samples of the gases inside and analyze them," Eng. AlEnezi revealed (KUNA, 03.03.2014). Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 119 – November 2014