Fresh Concerns After Rio Cobre Fish Kill

After the Rio Cobre Fish Kill, Residents in the surrounding community are calling for greater accountability from Windalco in order to safeguard the environment.

The stench is gone, but concerns remain for residents of Kent Village and Bog Walk in St. Catherine following a fish kill in the Rio Cobre. The residents want greater remediation efforts as they seek to return to normality.

A week ago residents and fisherfolk in Bog Walk and Kent Village in St.Catherine were alerted to yet another fish kill in the Rio Cobre.

For days the smell of rotten fish blanketed the communities, sparking protests from residents and outrage from environmental agencies.

When CVM LIVE visited the community on Monday we were greeted by fresh air and with fresh concerns from residents.

The National Environment and Planning Agency, NEPA, said the fish kill can be linked to the discharge of caustic effluent from west indies alumina company, Windalco.

In a statement to the media, Windalco says it will not be accepting liability for the fish kill, however, the bauxite company says it would assist in the removal of the dead fishes. 

Chambers says part of the remediation process should include bringing back aquatic life to the Rio Cobre.

The Vice-Chairman of the St. Catherine Parish Development Committee, Kestonard Gordon says the matter has been handled very callously.

He, like many other environmental stakeholders, is calling for greater accountability from Windalco to safeguard the environment and protect the livelihoods of hundreds of residents who depend on the river.