Source of Black River fish kill still uncertain

[Rockman]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Source of Black River fish kill still uncertain</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Kimone Thompson
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth - The weekend fish kill in Black River has been blamed on dunder pollution, but up to yesterday the source of the pollution was still uncertain.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Yesterday, a spokesman for Appleton Estate, a sugar- producing and distillation plant, denied a claim by chairman of the Elim Community Friendly Society, Keith Adams, that his company was responsible for the fish kill.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=360 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>A dead fish in a fisherman's net </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>"I am not aware of anything at Appleton that could be causing that (the fish kill in the Black River). We have been working with NEPA and we have spent millions to deal with this," said Ian Maxwell, the CEO of Appleton.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I am 100 per cent certain that it is not coming from us, but at the same time we are going to test the water to see if we can identify what it is and where it is coming from," Maxwell said.
Hundreds of dead fish washed up in the Black River and its tributaries on the weekend, leaving several residents who depend on fishing for a living worried.<P class=StoryText align=justify>On a boat tour of the Black River Monday, several aquatic creatures, including fish, crabs and shrimp, their bodies in varying stages of decomposition, were seen floating along the banks of the river, which is popular among tourists for safari tours.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Not long after, an Observer team boarded a tour boat to see the extent of the fish kill, a fisherman, who identified himself as 'Mr Tweety', who had gone to check on his seven fish pots set in the river's brackish waters on the weekend, said they were all dead, as he rowed past.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In Elim, a few miles up the road where the majority of the residents were relocated by the Alumina Partners of Jamaica from bauxite-rich areas such as Nain, Littitz and Myersville, the stench was unbearable. The once crystal clear Grass River, which runs through the community and into the Black River, was the colour of soot or coal and dogs gathered at the water's edge, feasting on the dead fish trapped in the reeds on both sides of the river.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Uton Williams, who has been residing in Elim since 1987, said the dunder was a real nuisance, causing even shortness of breath in his eight-month old child.
Another Elim resident, who only gave his name as Ken, said the stench from the dunder was causing some residents to fall sick.
Residents of Elim, said they were planning a street demonstration to protest against the pollution of the Black River.<P class=StoryText align=justify>On Monday, Keith Jones, acting investigator for the southern region of the National Environment and planning Agency (NEPA), admitted that the agency had received frequent reports of dunder in the river and the surfacing of dead fish. He said, however, that a lack of manpower was to be blamed for the agency's apparent slowness to act.
"Investigations are being conducted. We will be taking fish and water samples, which will be taken to the lab for analysis," Jones said. He said it was unlikely that the dunder was coming from the Appleton factory.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"We have had similar reports on a number of occasions, but we have not been able to identify the source. We have gone to Appleton and we haven't seen any escape from that area. As f

[Exile]

RE: Source of Black River fish kill still uncertain

This is a disgrace and these kills are happening far too frequently now. Last year there was one from a Spanish Town factory, not only killing fish in the irrigation channels but affecting fish farmers in Hillrun causing million $ losses.

This one should be simple to track given the scale of the kill and some point source should be found. The thing is, if the investigators are not on site early, it's often difficult to finger the perpetrators. As much as I like the 21-year old Appleton, seems llike they are responsible.

NEPA needs to act!

[Exile]

RE: Source of Black River fish kill still uncertain

Also, if you look at the picture of the fish - it is a non-native catfish from South America and Trinidad. It's what aquarist call a Pleco. Don't know what it's doing in Balck River. Other non-natives like the crawfish has also taken over like in Middle Quarters. Check the pepper shrimp selling now, different species...also sold in the Malls uptown.