Tonight, residents of the Belize River Valley are still waiting to hear what is causing the fish kill in their communities.
The Belize River remains the country's largest freshwater source and tonight fish are still dying. The issue is now being reported in communities downriver, namely Maypen and Grace Bank. And there are still no definitive answers.
But yesterday we went on the Belize River and might have found the source of the problem. Jaleeza Roberts reports:
Yesterday we spent hours traveling a portion of the Belize River, from St. Paul's Bank to the More Tomorrow area, documenting the extent of the fish kill. But for locals and representatives from the Community Baboon Sanctuary, like Conway Young, the fish kill has sounded many alarms:
Conway Young, Representative - Community Baboon Sanctuary
"I don't think anyone has seen the amount that we've seen on the Belize River, so that's definitely concerning and alarming."
Conway Young
"A lot of people still do subsistence fishing, so they rely on that. More importantly, most of the small cattle ranches depend on the river to access water for their livestock. So that's the other major ways that people rely on the river."
The Department of the Environment issued its first official public advisory last night as investigators race to determine what caused the mass fish kill affecting communities along the Belize River Valley. While the investigation continues, the government is warning the public not to consume fish or other aquatic resources from the affected areas, not to drink untreated river water, and not to use untreated river water for cooking, livestock, or pets until further notice:
Conway Young
"They did come out with a team. They did some samples, and they said that they will get back to us. But to date, I haven't heard anything back from them as yet. So we're still waiting."
While dead fish remain visible in several locations, one area stood out. A waterway connected to a network of canals leading toward the Santander Sugar area. Unlike the main Belize River, the water inside Labour Creek appeared dramatically different. It was noticeably darker, with heavy algae buildup and a thick, muddy sludge coating sections of the creek. The contrast between the creek and the Belize River was impossible to ignore:
Conway Young
"Coming up this far, we got in at St. Paul's and we came out for an hour and a half boat ride. We haven't seen any fish kill coming down, but we can see significant difference in the water color when we got to Laboring Creek. Then we came to another point, which was actually a canal that was closed and recently reopened."
However, information obtained by our newsroom suggests that organic discharge may have entered the river system, reducing dissolved oxygen levels and causing fish to suffocate. Those sources indicate the river's natural flow may already be diluting the affected water and, if no additional discharge occurs, the worst of the event could pass soon. Although those claims have not been officially confirmed, the Department of Environment has commenced an investigation but has so far released no conclusive findings, only saying, quote, "The joint exercise included water quality monitoring and sampling, as well as assessments of land-clearing activities, potential wastewater discharge sources, and other factors that may have contributed to impacts on the aquatic environment." Tonight, the river valley communities are pressing for answers and accountability, because for those who live along the Belize River, this isn't just an environmental issue, it's their livelihood:
Conway Young
"We definitely want to get to the bottom of it to see what's causing it. If they find that it's some wrongdoing, that those persons responsible will be dealt with to the full extent of the law. Because the Belize River is not only just for the River Valley area, it's for the entire Belize district. This is where BWS gets its water from and everything, so it can have a large-scale effect."
Tonight, that growing cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over the quality of the Belize District's most vital resource: water. Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
The Santander Sugar Group has still not responded to our request for a comment.
