NEPA probing Hellshire marine kill
Published:Tuesday | August 24, 2021 | 12:08 AM
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is conducting an investigation into an apparent localised marine kill along the shoreline of the Hellshire Fishing Village in St Catherine.
Dead sea cucumbers, juvenile fish, crabs, and lobsters were seen floating in the water and on the beach hours before Tropical Storm Grace brought heavy wind and rain on Tuesday, August 17.
NEPA received samples of the dead marine species and sea water collected by fisherfolk last Wednesday morning, said Anthony McKenzie, director of environmental management and conservation at NEPA.
“We actually have them (samples) and are looking at them, and based on our findings, we will be able to inform the investigation,” he told The Gleaner.
The environmental watchdog is exploring the theory that the accumulation of sargassum along the beach may have contributed to the fish kill.
Samples have been collected in a bid to determine if the breakdown of the seaweed could have contributed to a serious reduction of oxygen in the water, rendering it anoxic for marine species.
“We are looking at various theories and possible causes,” the NEPA director disclosed.
McKenzie said the agency should complete its investigation by Thursday.