SOME residents in the Bog Walk Gorge region of St Catherine are eagerly looking forward to catching mature fish again by January 2024, following an exercise in late June to restock the Rio Cobre with thousands of the tilapia breed.

In 2022 bauxite company UC Rusal reported that due to continuous rainfall, trade effluent at its Ewarton Works plant in St Catherine overflowed into waterways in the area. The overflow of the effluent consequently contaminated the Rio Cobre, killing thousands of fish and creating a serious health hazard for Jamaicans, particularly people who live in the area. It was also blamed for damaging the livelihood of many people whose survival was based on fishing.

UC Rusal was ordered by the authorities to do a number of things as part of its responsibility and response to the situation, including restocking the river with fish.

On Tuesday when the Jamaica Observer visited the area, residents for the most part expressed optimism that the fishing business could be back on track by the end of this year. Others who live in the Kent Village section of the gorge said they are happy things could be back to normal but expressed doubt that they will benefit, based on the method they said the people used when restocking the river.

According to some of the people, when the exercise was taking place the fish were released near Flat Bridge as well as further upstream, but not in the Kent Village region, which to them means they possibly won’t get much fish.

One woman told the Observer she was very elated due to positive signs which indicate things are heading in the right direction.

“I saw a young man passing with some fish on a string; the man had some black and white ones and two of the red ones. When he was passing he said, ‘They are growing.’ I am glad to know that the fish are developing. Things are picking up so we look forward to the next six months or so,” she said.

Another woman told the Observer that, for the most part, people have been adhering to the no-fishing rule that is in place at this time, which gives the fish a chance to grow. She said based on the very few people who have been catching “good-size fish” the future looks bright for those who depend on fishing to feed their families.

“I saw two men fishing on Monday, and they put something in a plastic bag and put it in the back of a car. Other than that, people are just waiting on the fish to grow big before they start fishing again,” she said.

One man explained he was impressed by the level of cooperation from the residents who, for the most part, have been adhering to the no-fishing policy that is currently in place.

“The authorities say no fishing and, for the most part, people have been adhering.”

While Clifton Barrett was happy that the fish stock is growing, he claimed there may have been a deliberate move by the authorities to not release any fish in the Kent Village section of the gorge.

“If they don’t throw any fish this side, the ones that they put in up the top won’t come down unless the river come down, especially because the lilies block them. If you are going to replenish the thing you have to do top, middle and bottom. They didn’t do it to benefit us. We believe that politics could be at play because right here is a direct People’s National Party [PNP] area. The fish they threw in the water down by Flat Bridge will eventually supply down that side. The fish down there won’t swim upstream; the fish they released further upstream won’t really come down here unless there is heavy rain.”