Land-based pollution an ongoing problem

The Planning Ministery, in a statement yesterday, said this was one of the findings of the State of the Marine Environment TT 2016 (SOME) which was presented to Planning Minister Camille Robinson- Regis on May 18. The Report said this pollution problem is mainly land based, where run-off and effluent from terrestrial sources and activities have negatively affected coastal sediment and water quality.

The SOME Report is the first of its kind in TT and provides a scientifically grounded understanding of the condition of some of the country’s important coastal and marine ecosystems, habitats and species. At the launch of the report, Robinson- Regis said, “It is estimated that almost 80 percent of all socio- economic activities and 70 percent of the’s population are located either along, or in close proximity to the coast.” The report also said suspended solids, hydrocarbons, nutrient pollution, heavy metals, and factors affect bathing beach water quality. Climate change, sargassum and lionfish were also identified as issues in the report. The ministry said the information in the report,” will be used for policy intervention among other actions to contribute to the resuscitation of our marine environment.” Actions to be taken in the near future include the appointment of an Inter-ministerial Committee to oversee the Action Plan for implementing the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Policy Framework, installation of the Water Quality Monitoring Buoy in collaboration with Microsoft in the Central Gulf of Paria, production of education material on land-based pollution and waste management and the development off a Marine Spatial Plan for the Northwest Peninsula of Trinidad.