Dead fish can be seen in the distance floating in the pond. (Robert Luckock photo)
FRENCH QUARTER--Scores of dead fish were found in the stagnant pond at the southern end of Baie L’Embouchure on Thursday, close to the whale observatory and lookout point on the Coralita road, sparking anger and concern among French Quarter residents and fishermen.
Video taken by Ghetto News showed dead fish floating in the pond and other dead fish washed up on the surrounding beach area and bushes. Preliminary indications suggested the outlet to the sea was blocked, preventing the fish from exiting and water from circulating. The outlet has since been unblocked by residents using shovels.
Collectivité President Louis Mussington and two of his staff visited the site on Friday to see the situation first-hand. A meeting has been organised at the Collectivité today, Monday, at 3:30pm to address the situation.
Resident Jean Luc Jeffers told this newspaper that in addition to the blocked outlet, the sewage plant in French Quarter is not operating at full capacity, meaning a lot of black water is seeping into the pond.
“Normally, with the outlet open, the pond can clean itself. If it is blocked there’s no way the water can circulate when the tide goes in and comes out,” he said. “This particular outlet is a clearing point for both ponds. The outlet has been blocked at least since Christmas Eve, if not before, but with just a very narrow channel to sustain the pond.
“Waterways are not supposed to be blocked on the island,” he added. “Our ponds are slowly being killed off. The pond at Hope Estate has no circulation at all, and Red Pond as well. Our nature is under threat. Réserve Naturelle talks about protecting mangroves; no, we don’t need mangroves, we need circulation for fish and animals to survive,” he insisted.
Questions have been raised about the role of Réserve Naturelle in managing the ponds and the Environmental Brigade’s role in monitoring.
