ORANGE WALK DISTRICT, Thurs. Oct. 3, 2019– The pollutants affecting the New River in the Orange Walk District are being flushed out by the moving currents that have resulted from the arrival of the rains over the last few days. One of the fears of the Department of the Environment is that when the New River begins to flow again, its pollutants will wash into Corozal Bay. This week, fish kills were recorded in the New River in Libertad, Corozal District.

The Department of the Environment had minimal success last month in their fight to restore life to the New River when they placed aerators at some points in the river around the area of Orange Walk Town.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture with responsibility for the Environment, Dr. Omar Figueroa, maintains his optimism that the New River will be restored to life. Figueroa spoke to reporters following a Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism meeting, and expressed his concern about the stagnation in the New River.

“The rains have started, and so, what was advanced eutrophication happening at a specific area was not moving because of the stagnation of the river is now starting to flow, and so it’s starting to dilute with the onset of the rains up there,” Figueroa explained.

The minister with responsibility for the environment was asked if he is aware of fish kills in Libertad in the Corozal District yesterday morning, Wednesday.

Figueroa replied, “I’m not aware of any fish kill up there. But what we need to understand is that a lot of times, fish kills happen when the rains start, because those rains actually stir up sediments and then it triggers the eutrophication.

“In the past, when the rain was the trigger, it didn’t become much of a problem because it started with the rain and we didn’t have that drought that created stagnation in the waters. But now that it is flowing, I wouldn’t be surprised that there might be a few fish kills given the onset of the rains, but I haven’t received those reports that I need to look at.”