The Rains have started= ongoing La Brea fish kills (See downloadable file for Videos and Images)
Date: May 31st , 2017
Dear Editor/Newsroom,
The Rains have started= ongoing La Brea fish kills.
The rains have started and as Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) have accurately predicted, the fish kills commence and are continuing daily.
Over 10 species of dead fish were recorded on 20th May 2017 on Point Sable Beach in La Brea alone!
FFOS have visited Point Sable Beach, again on Saturday 27th May, 2017, 5AM, at low tide to find the beach littered with dead and dying fish ( Blinch, Bouche, Catfish, Cavali, Chip Chip, Cutlass fish, Fowl Fish, Grunt, Herring, Mullet, Moonshine, Plato, Power, Rokando, Salmon, and Sapate), a total of 16 species.
Are these dumped fish as the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and Environmental Management Authority (EMA) have stated repeatedly in the past 3 years since the 2013 Petrotrin fiasco?
Compared to our videos and photo images of our four hour visit, the EMA conducted a site visit to Point Sable Beach, La Brea on Sunday 28th May, 2017 at 11:00 AM at low tide and have reported only sighting 4 dead fishes. These daily fish kills must be investigated by a competent environmental institution.
The EMA visited the site 24 hours after FFOS site visit and video capture of the fish kill. The EMA field officers should work along the local fisher folk to acquire the skill to spot fish carcases on the horizon. Why does the EMA lock out the primary stakeholders and resident fisher-folk who continue to report these dangers?
FFOS have advised the EMA (on multiple occasions) that site visits need to be conducted at dawn at the high/ falling tide before the dogs, raptors and corbeaux feed on fish carcasses.
The EMA continues not to heed FFOS’s advice and once again under-report erroneously.
FFOS will continue to conduct weekly site visits to accurately inform the public of the fish kills occurring in La Brea, especially now with the commencement of the rainy season we expect the daily carnage to accelerate as the COREXIT and other still unknown chemicals and dispersants used in the 2013 Petrotrin oil spill are being washed out of the Aripero River and mangroves where they were never removed.
FFOS call on the Right Honourable Prime Minister to intervene in this matter of grave public health where FFOS have shown with accredited laboratory reports that fish obtained on the beaches of La Brea contained dangerous high levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known cancer causing triggers.
Unless the PM intervenes to stop fishing in this area, to clean up the residual chemicals, and issue warnings, shrimp and fish consumers will continue to be at greater risk of degenerative cancers.
FFOS will continue to stand guard.
Sincerely,
Gary Aboud
Corporate Secretary