Zephyrton, St Catherine hit by another fish kill, residents concerned

Residents of Zephyrton in Linstead, St Catherine today awoke to the distressing sight of dead fish lining the bank of the Rio Cobre in their community.

The water appeared murky and was described as "milky looking" by concerned residents. 

This was not the first the community is experiencing such a disaster.

Since 2019, fish kills have been a recurring issue due to pollutants deposited into the river.

These incidents have severely impacted the livelihoods of residents who rely on the river for their economic stability.

Fisherman Barrington McIntosh from Kent Village expressed concerned about the state of the river.

"I know something was wrong because I was at the river yesterday and I didn't get a bite, I didn't ketch a fish, and when mi look mi see the river water look a little different," McIntosh told The Gleaner.

He fears another spill might be responsible and is worried it could flow downstream, hampering his ability to fish.

McIntosh also recalled how a previous pollution incident wiped out his crops, as he used river water for irrigation. 

- Ruddy Mathison

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