Maersk stand showcases whale shark preservation

HE the Minister of Energy and Industry and QP CMD, Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, visited the Maersk Oil stand during the event’s inauguration on Saturday to learn more about the environmental programmes being implemented by the company.

Maersk Oil Qatar’s exhibition stand takes the form of a life-sized whale shark at this year’s fair. Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish, weighing up to 30tonnes and measuring up to 20m in length. One of the world’s largest aggregation of whale sharks gathers each year off Qatar’s shore in the Al Shaheen field.

“The fair gives us a great opportunity to meet local children and share information about our environmental activities,” said Maersk Oil Qatar managing director Lewis Affleck. “While providing a fun and engaging atmosphere at our stand, we are also making it an educational experience for visitors.”

Maersk Oil Qatar has been operating in Qatar for 20 years, and, in close partnership with Qatar Petroleum, extracts around one-third of the country’s daily oil production from the Al Shaheen field.

Platforms in the Al Shaheen field play an important environmental role, acting as massive artificial reefs. Thousands of fish can be observed among the sponges and soft corals that grow on the oil platforms, creating a marine oasis in a desert sea. The abundance of spawning fish provides a rich food source for whale sharks, attracting them to the field.

“We produced a fascinating underwater documentary last year and the wealth of marine life that is found under our platforms is truly amazing. We are committed to minimising our impacts on this wonderful environment,” said Lewis.

Mass gatherings of whale sharks are witnessed in only a few places of the world. In 2011, Maersk Oil Qatar joined hands with the Ministry of Environment to support the Qatar Whale Shark Research Project. Led by the ministry, it aims to discover more about the whale sharks that visit Qatar’s waters from May to September each year.

During the event, Maersk Oil Qatar also distributed and developed a special activity book for children. Two characters, Rashid and Ditte, were used to introduce young attendees to the marine environment.

Visitors can also watch a video of whale sharks, the world’s biggest species of shark, feeding in the Arabian Gulf. This has captured the imagination of the attendees, many of whom were unaware that whale sharks can be found in Qatar’s waters.