Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Oropouche residents are calling on the authorities to bring charges against a company which has been polluting the South Oropouche River, allegedly triggering a fish kill yesterday.
A source, who requested anonymity, said the industrial and fabricating company had been using a pipe to channel pollutants directly into the South Oropouche river for the past seven years, and despite numerous complaints by residents, nothing had been done.
Yesterday, hundreds of dead fish were seen floating in the South Oropouche River, raising concerns about contamination and prompting warnings to the public to avoid consuming fish from the area.
Dead and dying fish were seen on the river’s banks and in the water. A flock of corbeaux stood nearby, eating the fish. Speaking to Guardian Media, Edward Moodie, president of the Sustainable Climate Resilience Initiative, said he was alerted by residents early yesterday morning about large numbers of dead fish along the river near Debe.
“When I came on site, I realised it must have been some kind of poison in the water, because the water is well aerated. It’s not an oxygen issue. It has to do with something that is killing all the fish,” Moodie said.
The dead species include catfish, tilapia, salmon, shrimp, prawns and crabs. Moody noted that catfish were known to survive in difficult water conditions. “When you see catfish dying like this, you know something is definitely wrong with water quality,” he said. He added that dead fish were seen along about a mile and a half of the river and suggested the contamination may have originated upstream. Moodie said he suspects industrial waste may have been dumped into the river.
Teams from the Environmental Management Authority and the Institute of Marine Affairs have been contacted and are expected to investigate. The Minister of the Environment has also been briefed.
Moodie warned residents not to collect fish or crabs from the river for sale or consumption.
“We had two people this morning, and we had to stop them from taking the crabs and fish out of the river. We want people to know, once anybody comes to them with catfish or crab from here, this is a no,” he said.
Resident Yvonne Boodoo expressed concern that people may take the fish home and eat it without knowing the risks.
“We are urging the public not to take up these fish, not to eat them or give anyone, because we don’t know the danger,” she said.
Moodie said the long-term impact on the ecosystem and the community was not yet known. He noted that juvenile fish that would normally return to the sea were now dead or dying, which could affect future fishing activity in the area.
Guardian Media reached out to Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram, but there was no response up to late yesterday.
