(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV) has not been able to determine the cause of the recent fish deaths on Coronie’s coast. In a statement, state veterinarian and acting head of Aquaculture A. Chotkan says that no definite conclusions can be made from observations by a worker of the sub-Directorate Fisheries and statements by fishermen. He believes this is “most likely a natural phenomenon caused by climate conditions, currents or possibly by non-pathological micro-organisms like algae”. Ramon Hooplot, who first noticed the dead fish and raised the alarm, doubts any natural phenomena are involved, as he has seen this for the first time in the more than 10 years he has been visiting the beach regularly. He believes the deaths have been caused by chemicals or other poisonous substances, as he noticed that the water in the area was black. As LVV has not conducted a pathological investigation, an exact cause of the fish deaths cannot be determined. Fishermen have stated that this happens every year, but the Fisheries directorate has no documentation on this phenomenon. Coronie’s District Commissioner Harriette Ramdien is very concerned, and wants answers from the authorities. Workers of the Bureau for Public Health left for Coronie on Wednesday to start an investigation. LVV official Chotkan believes that this phenomenon should be monitored in order to determine whether these fish deaths are a recurring natural phenomenon, when it takes place and what species of fish die then. No samples were taken from the dead fish for pathological investigation, as they had decomposed to such an extent that such an investigation was of no use.
