MONTEGO BAY, St James:

Faced with the problem of illegal slaughtering of animals, the St James Public Health Department has called on the St James Parish Council to expedite the restoration of the Montego Bay Abattoir.

Earlier this year, on the instruction of the public health committee, the council wrote to the medical officer (of health) for the parish, Dr Rao Ponnada, pointing to illegal slaughtering taking place next door to the unused abattoir on River Bay Road and at the Montpelier Orange Farm.

In a letter responding to the council, read at Wednesday's public health committee meeting, Ponnada said it would be very helpful "if the St James Parish Council, which has the ultimate responsibility for the provision of the abattoir, would do whatever lies in its power to get back this facility in place, as the lack of an abattoir is driving the butchers into the illegal activities".

The MOH noted that the abattoir was ordered closed by the health department approximately six years ago because of unsanitary conditions.

Provision was then made for butchers using the abattoir to join with butchers who owned slaughterhouses until the parish council corrected the situation at the abattoir. Four of these slaughterhouses were identified as satellite slaughter units and the council would supply them with water tanks and water.

"To date, this promised development has not been realised (and) the butchers have been complaining since then about the hardships involved, in both transporting their animals to the satellite stations and the lack of space and water at the stations," Ponnada noted.

Expressed fears

Butchers have also expressed fears of entering some communities ridden with violence. The shooting death of a butcher recently has heightened tensions.

The facility remains closed despite several meetings with the previous secretary/manager of the council and recommendations made for improvement of conditions that would allow for its reopening.

There were also meetings and site visits with the Scientific Research Council (SRC), which recommended suitable pretreatment systems for the waste generated at the abattoir, which would allow the National Water Commission to accept the waste into its system.

"A meeting with butchers was also held at the St James Health Department in February 2007, in which former Mayor (Noel) Donaldson was in attendance. He promised the butchers that in three months' time the abattoir would be ready, as the arrangements with the SRC should be implemented within that time frame," Ponnada disclosed.

The medical officer of health said public health inspectors have been carrying out inspection of slaughterhouses.

"The problem, therefore, is not with the slaughter places but those butchers who normally used the abattoir and presently have no place to slaughter."

While stressing that the inspectors have been carrying out checks and condemning meat, Ponnada also pointed out that "with our skeletal staff and with much work to be done, it is almost impossible for public health inspectors to search for all illegal slaughter places and to monitor the activities which may be taking place".