Chemicals threaten livelihoods in Rio Grande Valley

Poisonous chemicals which are allegedly being thrown into rivers and other waterways in the Rio Grande Valley of Portland are seemingly disrupting the livelihood of fisherfolk while causing adverse effects to commerce.

The illicit practice by some who continue to use tick powder and other harmful chemicals to make a catch has all but derailed the operations of several businesses, including restaurants and cookshops.

"Mi stop buy crayfish more than a year now because dem boy yah a poison di river dem and a kill off all di crayfish," said Brenda, a resident of Fellowship. Brenda said she has stopped preparing crayfish soup for her customers, who travel from as far as Port Antonio.

"Mi eat some a di poison crayfish soup sometime ago and I had diarrhoea for almost a week. My stomach was upset and I had a belly ache right through. Mi sorry, but mi naah risk it. My customers come first and mi nuh waan health people dem force mi fi lock down my business. It sad and mi waan police fi lock up di wicked boy dem," she said.

Since news broke two weeks ago about the use of poisonous chemicals in several waterways in the Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Portland, the National Environment and Planning Agency has launched its own investigation. But the agency cited that its efforts were being hampered by residents, who are reluctant to come forward with evidence.

And with the crayfish and other types of fish species now under threat, at least one businessman has undertaken alternative means to keep his restaurant afloat. Kevin Morrison, who operates a shop/restaurant in Fellowship, now purchases the freshwater shellfish in St Elizabeth, approximately 132 miles away.

SOURCE OF EMPLOYMENT

"Crayfish is a source of employment for we, with our food and nutrition skills in the Rio Grande Valley. So we do many dishes with the crayfish. We have like curry crayfish and crayfish in a coconut juice. Different ways of fixing the dish," said Morrison. "Now through the problem with the guys poisoning off the Rio Grande and streams around us, we have the crayfish start to deteriorate. So we have to import crayfish from St Elizabeth, where it is a smaller version to keep the business alive. Our livelihood is going down."

It is not the first time that harmful chemicals have affected marine life in the Rio Grande Valley. Almost a decade ago, chemicals sprayed on coffee to ward off insects ended up in waterways during heavy rainfall, killing marine life. Since then, the practice of spraying was aborted.

One diver told THE WEEKEND STAR that chemicals are being placed in rivers all over in the Rio Grande Valley.

"I am a licensed fisherman and the quality fish that I used to see during dem time deh, mi naah see dem now," he said.

"Di youth dem a poison di river dem, so we naah see none a dem fish deh again such as snook, drummer, perch, mullet, hog nose, and mud fish. Mi see all eel a float pon water top and a just pure madness a gwaan," he said, alleging that the perpetrators have also threatened them with violence.

People's National Party (PNP) candidate for the Fellowship division, Colin Bell, argued that the depletion in the crayfish population over the years has resulted in the price rising from $1,000 per pound to $3,500 due to its scarcity.

"I am proposing a ban on fishing on rivers and other waterways in the Rio Grande Valley for two years," said Bell. "Also, river wardens need to be placed along the rivers to enforce the ban. Anyone caught fishing on the river during the ban should be arrested, charged, and taken to court. This has got to stop and any delay could result in a complete extinction of all the river creatures in this area."