By Francine Black and Robert Lalah, Staff Reporters MARLON HIBBERT, marine scientist at the Port Royal Marine Laboratory, is concerned about tons of rubbish which have been floating into the Port Royal mangrove swamp and affecting the marine life there.
Refuge Cay, a mangrove island which is part of the swamp, has been most affected by the rubbish which continues to be washed out of gullies into Kingston Harbour. This then floats for days, eventually finding rest in the mangroves.
"The garbage suffocates the roots of the mangroves, especially the black mangroves. They have to literally fight for survival," Mr. Hibbert told a visiting Gleaner team yesterday. The rubbish, including old tires, plastic clothes hampers, aerosol cans, and other plastic material, has been lodged at the roots of the mangroves along the half mile stretch, smothering and killing some of the black mangroves whose roots grow upwards from the swamp floor.
TOXINS
In addition, the scores of birds and other marine life, such as dolphins and turtles that depend on the swamp for food, could also be affected as toxins from the rubbish could wipe out the fish in the mangrove.
The marine scientist has also detected a new trend which involves household waste being taken and dumped on a barge on the other side of the Cay. Over the past two months, persons from the community have noticed a vessel taking large bags of household garbage - plastic bottles, plates - and dumping it onto the barge.
The bags have already started to disintegrate and the rubbish has already started to float into the swamp and settle at the roots. Mr. Hibbert theorised that it may be ship waste that was generated out at sea and given to a smaller vessel to dispose of.
However, instead of being dumped in skips on land, the garbage is being taken out to the barge and left there. "The amount of garbage which has been accumulated, will take a very long time to clean up. It will be an extremely difficult task," Mr. Hibbert said.
The Port Royal mangroves is a protected area and supports large numbers of organisms with over 60 species of birds, including migrants and resident birds. The mangroves play a major role in the ecosystem, acting as hurricane refuge for boats, a nursery for fishes and helps to clean the water.
Zadie Neufville, Public Education officer at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), noted that the persons who dump garbage into mangroves may be prosecuted. Persons caught could be fined up to $1 million or jailed for as much as two years.
