KINGSTON, Jamaica— People’s National Party (PNP) president Mark Golding says he has fulfilled a promise he made to restock the Rio Cobre with fingerlings, following an incident of a toxic effluent spill and fish kill last year.

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda, led an investigation into the alleged chemical spill in the Rio Cobre where a series of assessments were done.

Samuda had described the damage from the spill as “significant”, and said that bauxite company Windalco could be made to forfeit a $115 million environmental performance bond if it is determined that it is responsible for the spill.

READ: WATCH: Samuda heads multi-agency probe into latest chemical spill which led to Rio Cobre fish kill

As for the restocking of the Rio Cobre, the PNP said on Friday that they collaborated with a fish farmer named Donnie Bunting, and 3,000 Rocky Mountain white fingerlings were released into the Rio Cobre.

This, the party said, marks a significant step towards the restoration of the river’s aquatic population, with the farmer confirming that an additional 17,000 fingerlings will be added gradually to the river in the coming months under the current arrangement.

This will gradually revitalise the river’s biodiversity, PNP said.

The opposition party added that in its attempts of “restoring ecological the balance of the Rio Cobre” it experienced delays in the authorisation process from National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and other relevant authorities.

“This vital restocking project has been in the works since the fish kill last year. I have been in dialogue with fish farmer Donnie Bunting and we made the commitment to the fisherfolk when we visited Kent Village after the spill. Donnie indicated that he would need the approval of the relevant authorities, and we approached NEPA about it, and have been following up over the many months since then. We are thankful that the authorization was eventually given, as the revival of the Rio Cobre is crucial to the sustainability of the surrounding communities,” Golding said.

The PNP also reported that Windalco also purchased red tilapia hybrid fingerlings from farmer Bunting which were also released into the Rio Cobre today.

“Their contribution to this collective effort is appropriate, to help to restore the river’s ecosystem,” Golding stated.

The PNP went on to share their strong beliefs in partnering with “progressive Jamaicans like Donnie Bunting, who share our commitment to environmental conservation. Through collaborative efforts with individuals and organisations dedicated to environmental stewardship, we can effectively safeguard our precious natural resources and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come”.