Mystery Rio Cobre oil spill sparks concern
Fishers distressed by yet another disaster
Published:Wednesday | December 13, 2023 | 12:11 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Residents living near the Rio Cobre in St Catherine are calling for immediate action from the authorities to find the source of an oil spill and limit the devastation to protect the ecosystem and livelihoods.
President of Friends of the Rio Cobre, Kestonard Gordon, told The Gleaner that the oil spill, which was discovered on Monday evening, has caused great distress to the community and triggered concern over the potential devastation.
“The residents, including fisherfolk, are up in arms, having experienced similar situations in the past that destroyed the ecosystem and their livelihoods,” Gordon said.
Ethel Scott, who encountered the situation while fishing, described the river turning black with oil, forcing her to retrieve her fish traps.
“I was hopeful that today it would run off so I could get back to fishing, but I had to take up my fish pots because it was only oil in the water,” she said on Tuesday.
Scott said she is hoping that the spill does not affect the fish population.
The fish stock in the river was decimated because of previous incidents of pollution, but after restocking six months ago, the fishers said the fish had multiplied considerably.
Wayne Williams, a seasoned fisherman with over 30 years of experience, reported that he was adversely affected as his lobsters were covered in black oil.
“We want the responsible party identified and held accountable for this action,” Gordon demanded, reflecting the community’s determination to seek justice for the environmental damage.
Furthermore, Gordon wants the Office of Disaster Preparedness Emergency Management, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Fisheries Authority of Jamaica to spearhead the clean-up of the river.
NEPA officials on Tuesday focused their investigation on the compound of Dairy Farmers and a nearby canal, where water flows into the Rio Cobre.
A supervisor at Dairy Farmers denied responsibility for the spill even as the authorities collected samples for testing to determine the source.
The environmental watchdog cautioned that it was too early to pinpoint the cause until the analysis of samples collected from the plant and the canal was complete.