DOE Identifies Trigger Behind Massive Fish Kill

Investigators now know what triggered the massive fish kill in the Belize River Valley, but can authorities prevent it from happening again? The Department of the Environment says floodwaters swept organic material, fertilizers and pollutants from several sources into the river, creating the conditions that led to the event. With the investigation complete, environmental officials are turning their attention to prevention. Their recommendations include restoring vegetation along riverbanks, improving water management on large farms, updating the Belize River Watershed Management Plan and installing an early warning system to detect changes in water quality before another crisis unfolds.

 

Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer

“ So far the investigation that we have done suggests that there are between twenty-five and thirty farms within the area. We had identified twenty-four clearings along the Belize River ranging from three acres to three hundred acres in size. And so all of these farms have a role to play to ensure that the river is protected. We did mention, however, that the Belize River is being impacted by more than just agricultural runoff. I think that is critically important because the approach going forward and the activities that we want to put in place will have to be to a broader group, or broader sectors, not only the agricultural sector. And so what we are proposing from the Department of Environment is that the lead agency for watershed management, which is the National Hydrological Service, update the Belize River Watershed Management Plan. I have been informed that that activity has started. There are funds that has been identified, and there is an advertisement that has been published to invite consultants to bid for the updating of the Belize River Watershed Management Plan, which is critically important because the management plan is the go-to, would be the go-to document for all different agencies in relation to protecting the Belize River. So the management plan speaks to all the different activities that occur within the watershed. So the watershed is basically the basin that surrounds the Belize River. So when it rains, all the water within that basin flows within the river.”

 

Mai says officials continue testing river conditions to answer the River Valley community’s outstanding questions about water quality, fish consumption, and the river’s recovery.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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