FISHERMEN at the Old Harbour Bay fishing beach in St Catherine complained yesterday that an oil spill in the area on Saturday is threatening their livelihood.

One of the fishermen told the Observer that more than 3,900 pounds of fish caught in pots and nets were dumped as the oil had killed the fish. Fishing pots, he said, were stained with oil.

“Yesterday (Saturday) when me haul me fish pot it have oil all over it, and about 150 pound weight of fish and lobster whey catch ina the pot dead because them cover off wid oil, so me had to dump them for dat couldn’t sell,” complained Wayne Bailey, 50, a fisherman at the Old Harbour Bay for more than 35 years.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) confirmed that an oil spill occurred in the Old Harbour Bay area on Saturday.

“The oil spill was as a result of a ruptured hose connected to a pipeline containing Bunker-C fuel oil. The spill source is located approximately one mile off shore of the Doctor Bird Power Barge,” said an ODPEM statement.

The power barge supplies power to the JPSCo Old Harbour Bay Power Station.

Meanwhile, the ODPEM said the oil spill was being mopped up with the assistance of Petrojam, following a meeting with the power barge’s management and a national response team which included the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard, National Environment and Planning Agency and the Maritime Authority.

“We never see so much dead fish around. You know what this mean, we have to go further at deep sea to fish and that journey to the deep (is) going (to) cost us more,” said George Swaby, who has been fishing in Old Harbour Bay for 30 years. Swaby also said on Saturday he had to dump a pot with more than 200 pounds of fish.

Another fisherman said he had to cut off nearly 50 pounds of his net which was soaked with oil. Evidence of the oil spill left a black greasy mark on the sides of his boat.

The fishermen said although the oil has not damaged their boats, fish pots and outboard engines have been hit.

“We have to go talk to dem (Power Barge management) fe get back something to compensate we, for we lose whole heap a money since Saturday for a pure dead fish out a sea dey now,” said a fisherman, who declined to give his name.