A/HRC/5/5 page 6 Furthermore, in some contexts, namely in the Persian Gulf, a large percentage of drinking water is extracted from seawater through desalination. If the seawater is contaminated, it undermines the availability of drinking water. This could be particularly problematic for States such as Saudi Arabia, where 70 to 80 per cent of the population receives fresh water from desalination plants.8 10. Fisheries can also be affected. The dissolution of oil creates aromatic hydrocarbons to which marine organisms are extremely sensitive. Going up the food chain, this will affect fisheries as consumption of fish caught in a region affected by an oil spill will be discouraged. If heavy fuel released in a marine environment during an armed conflict sinks and is not removed, it can have a significant impact on seabed resources and in turn have a potentially disastrous effect on fishing and mariculture.9 In many costal regions this will not only have consequences for the immediate availability of food but also for the livelihood of people working in the fishing industry. In some States the fishing industry sustains a significant number of individuals. For example, in Lebanon, some 30,000 people, close to 1 per cent of the population, could depend on this industry.10 These effects have the potential to become chronic and can last for many years, as the full effects of oil pollution on fish stocks are not immediate. For example, in the case of the accidental spill involving the Exxon Valdez, it took three years after the initial spill for the fish population of the affected areas to collapse.11 11. Tourism is another industry that may suffer following an oil spill. Oil spills that result either from an attack on oil stocks or from a voluntary release, will certainly affect the shoreline. In regions with attractive beaches and resorts, costs to the tourism industry could be high.12 Hotels, restaurants and other tourist or beach related activities may have to close down, thus affecting the livelihood of those working in this sector. For instance, following a visit to Lebanon the Special Rapporteur on the right to food reported that the oil spill resulting from the bombing of the Jiyyeh power station would have long-term effects on the tourism industry which provides employment to a large section of the Lebanese population.13 8 William M. Arkin, Damian Durrant and Marianne Cherni, On Impact: Modern Warfare and the Environment A Case Study of the Gulf War (Greenpeace, 1991) p. 65. 9 UNEP, Effects of marine oil pollution on economy and human health, Global marine information gateway. 10 Richard Steiner, Lebanon Oil Spill Rapid Assessment/Response Mission, Final Report (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Green Line, 2006). 11 Ibid. 12 UNEP, Effects of marine oil pollution on economy and human health, Global marine information gateway. 13 A/HRC/2/8.