EMA takes samples of dead fish species from La Brea

Several dead fish species washed ashore at a beach in La Brea on Saturday and officials of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) took samples for testing to determine the cause of the incident.

In a media release by the EMA yesterday, it stated that local community-based organisation La Brea Fisherfolk Association informed them of the presence of a variety of dead fish species in the vicinity of the La Brea coastline

Officials visited the site where they observed about 45 to 50 fish of varying species and obtained the samples for laboratory analysis later this week.

“While the incident appears to be confined to the immediate vicinity of the La Brea coastal area, there were no observed abnormal conditions, substances or indicators at the time of the site visit to suggest the likely cause of the fish deaths,” the release stated.

The EMA was not notified of any upset conditions by industrial operators in the region. The EMA continues, the release stated, to monitor the situation and awaits the results of laboratory analysis to attempt to identify a likely cause of this incident.

In the meantime, EMA is calling on the public to report any additional observations of a similar nature via its emergency number (868) 680-9588 or email at complaints@ema.co.tt .

Yesterday president of the association Alvin La Borde told Newsday that most of the dead fish species washed up shore at Carat Shed beach. “I say it was more than 50 in all and most were cat fish. Today it is back to normal. I believe that this may be the dumping of fish because if there was something (pollutant) all the other shorelines would have had.”