And while it may not qualify as a coastal concern, a recent fish kill in the Orange Walk District does raise worries about the health of our waterways. These kills were spotted yesterday on the New River between the Tower Hill toll bridge and Orange Walk Town.
Chief Environmental Officer Martin Allegria says they have received two reports of fish kills in the same area: this one near Orange Walk, and another near Lamanai. He says he can't confirm what's causing them, but he suspects that both are related to the first heavy rains which came down in Sunday in Orange Walk. He explains that the rains can cause run off from agricultural areas near the river and it can churn up the riverbed which is layered with decades of pollutants from the BSI factory.
With that he says either pollutants or algae bloom are likely responsible for the kill. He added that first rain fish kills are not uncommon in that area.
