THE EDITOR, Sir:
I HATE to see dishonest politics using the fishermen who illegally fish in the Kingston Harbour as political football to enhance the political image of these representatives.
The fact is fishing in the harbour is against the port laws because it endangers shipping and the lives of the very fishermen themselves.
Secondly, the water in the Kingston Harbour is so very polluted that absolutely no marine species caught there should be consumed for fear of ingesting the dreaded e-coli or other dangerous bacteria conveyed in human faeces. Rather, a ban on fishing in the harbour should be strictly enforced.
Tons of raw sewage continue to be pumped into the harbour daily. Sailing along the harbour to Port Royal is like running the gauntlet between stink and stench. The foul smell gets you even when driving along the new bypass road along Rae Town.
The decent thing for these politicians to do is use their misguided energies to influence the Minister of Water and the Water Commission to cease polluting the harbour and to clean up the harbour for the benefit of everyone. We are very lucky that we have not yet had massive breakout of fish poisoning from fish caught and consumed in these very polluted waters but let us be warned, it can happen any day.
By all accounts the Port Authority is a highly successful government agency which approaches its responsibilities seriously and with due diligence and should not be recklessly made a scapegoat for the furthering of expedient political agendas.
I am, etc.,
L.A. BERT RAMSAY
sandyramsay@mail.infochan.com
P. O. Box 760.
Kingston
