ST JAMES, Jamaica — The illegal practice of dumping garbage into St James gullies not only negatively affects the fish population but is also “poisoning” your bodies, the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust has warned.

Speaking to OBSERVER ONLINE, Marine Park Ranger, Robert Campbell, pointed out that the North and South gullies, which both empty in the marine park, are supposed to act as vehicles carrying excess water from communities in the event of a disaster. But instead, he said, residents are using the gullies as dump sites to rid their homes of appliances and solid waste.

“It is interesting because we see everything you can think of from car chassis, refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, clothing, and a whole lot of household items, plus garbage. Over at the North Gully we see a lot of car parts and a lot of household articles as that drain takes all waste from Cornwall Courts, Rose Heights, Farm Heights, King Street all the way down to the sea,” the marine park ranger explained.

 “If you are a fish lover, you will realise that the fish are now smaller, and the catches are less in quantity. So, this [garbage thrown in the gully] has a very negative effect because fish is a part of the food chain and the ecosystem in general. Now on that coastal line where the water runs off, you have coral reefs, and those things [garbage thrown in the gully] damage the coral reef which in turn affects parrot fish which live on the coral reef.”

This also negatively affects the economic structure of the families who depend on fishing, said Campbell.

“It trickles down because if you damage the coral reef, the fish population dips so the fishermen’s money goes down and then it goes into the household. So, it really has a ripple effect,” he said.

And according to Hugh Shim, executive director of the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust, the illegal practice of dumping waste in the gullies put the city’s residents at grave risk of becoming ill.

“When you throw your garbage inside the gullies it comes back to you in some way or another because if the fish eats the plastic, then the toxins from the plastic increases, you buy that fish and eat it then you are eating your own poison,” Shim stressed.

“So, you are poisoning yourself when you poison the sea.”

On the note of excessive plastic waste flowing down the gullies, Shim told OBSERVER ONLINE that single-use plastic bags are still a nuisance though they have been banned by the Government.

“We see a lot of them [plastic bags] resurfacing. We are getting more of the clear plastic bags which are even more dangerous than the black ones because at least you can see the black ones and you can pick them up. But the transparent ones, once they go in the water you can’t see them easily,” Shim explained.

Campbell said the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust’s message for the residents of these communities remains the same.

“Just dispose of your garbage properly. If the parish council [Municipal Corporation] has not put a garbage skip in your community, you along with the other community members can get a garbage drum or two or just talk to your councillor and have them send a garbage truck to collect your waste,” Campbell appealed.

“Just think of the food that you eat. If you don’t eat well, it may not have an immediate effect on your body but over time it will have damaging results.” 

Established in 1991, the Montego Bay Marine Park encompasses some 16 square kilometres of mixed-use Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Montego Bay area, and is home to two fish sanctuaries, the Bogue Lagoon and Airport Point.

The sanctuaries are aimed at increasing fish abundance and protecting the coral reef ecosystem. The park also advocates and raises environmental awareness for the protection of the 20 kilometres of shoreline, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove ecosystems.

Rochelle Clayton