Issues like those come before us as Bahrainis every day; I woke up this morning to the news (or allegations) of the sale of one of the local largest constellations of coral reefs (Fasht AlJaerm) (Story reported by AlWasat Newspaper, Mahmood’s Den, and Haytho’s Blog).

Allow me not to bore you with the biological importance of the coral reef and its value to the food chain as a whole, allow me for once not to suggest to you on how we Bahrainis should react to such acts, or throw accusations here and there as to who is behind this and who will benefit from the sale of the shores of the country. All of that I believe will be carried out and discussed in detail later on.

What I want to point your attention to here is how we tend to overlook things and forget about them, how we Bahrainis got so used to shocks that we developed immunity from which. The issue of the Fasht has been raised over and over again by local activists and MPs numerous times, all of which was faced by the usual silence from the government, and the blind eye by the public.

Let me remind you that Bahrain is an archipelago of 40 islands; the general public is only allowed the sale and purchase of lands in 4 Islands (The Bahrain Island –the mother island which has the capital-, Muharraq, Sitra and Nabih Saleh) the rest is basically area 51, u known of and inaccessible to the public except by Google Earth –measures have been taken before to control this-. Every Bahraini knows exactly who holds the title deeds of Jeddah Island, Um AlNasa’an and Um AlSaban Islands and who they belong to.

Anyway, The Fasht has already been sold a while ago, and I personally doubt there is anything that we could do as MPs, environmental activists, or anyone for that matter.

Just to jog my memory, the below are my finding of the times this particular issue of the Fasht has been brought to our attention as public media readers/viewers/followers whatever you may call yourself:

MP Isa Al Mutawa questioned the Minister of Works and Housing Mr. Fahmi Algeoder regarding the on going rumors about distributing 200 square kilometers of land north of the Marine Muharraq to Fasht Jarim. (Couldn’t get the source of Nuwab’s website as everything related to the previous council has been deleted, Thankfully, Google Caches) June 2005

The state does not own any coastal lands now, (Fasht AlJarim is only 20km away). The Sea visible to us to North of Muharraq and Manama is actually lands planned for burial. The rest has been either given away, stolen or distributed. (Mr. Ibrahim Sharif, Article Dated June 2006).

The famous Bahrain Disney Land project, that was later announced a work of fiction. Was supposed to be built on Fasht AlJarim. (Source)

The Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad bin Attiya Al-Khalifa has admitted in reply in a memorandum addressed to the General Authority for the protection of marine environment and wildlife to the health risk reported by the local press last month, on ” the great effect of the sand extracting activities carried out in the area between Mina Salman and the Dry Docks, that led to the leakage of large quantities of silt to the North of Fasht AlJarim” (AlWaqt Newspaper)

In addition to sand extracting activities that is threating Fasht AlAdhem, it’s also facing two other serious threats the first is a project to establish a housing city, and second, to build a bridge between Qatar and Bahrain which happens to pass through. (Dr. Muneera Fakhro, AlWaqt Newspaper)

And the results?

A FIRM of consultants headquartered in Basingstoke is masterminding the creation of a new island development off the coast of Bahrain.
Basing View-based Scott Wilson has won a master planning commission for the proposed Asdaf Islands project for Dala WLL.
The exciting project is to create a high-profile, mixed-use development with extensive water frontages and a series of linked islands, designed in the shape of a seahorse.
The 1,600-hectare islands will be situated about one kilometers off the north east coast of Bahrain and will feature a central business district, a wide range of residential accommodation, and commercial, retail and tourism development. (Source)