Text and image Edwien Bodjie
SARAMACCA— “We want to know how much longer. How long do we have to be without income? I can’t sit at home for that long. I’ve been a fisherman all my life and from one day to the next I’m no longer allowed to. The whole life has changed here!” This is what fisherman Roël Soenda says, sitting on the waterfront of the village of Columbia the True Time.
Next to him are fishing nets that have not been used for months. The village’s seven fishermen have not been able to work on the Saramacca River for about four months, since the massive fish kill. The first dead fish were discovered around June 25 and 26 in the upper reaches of the river, near the Moeroekreek north of the indigenous village of Pikin Saron.
“We have been left to our own devices as if we were not Surinamese”
Fisherman Roël Soenda
Don’t take any risks
The National Environment Authority (NMA) has advised fishermen not to cast their nets for the time being. It is still unclear when they will be allowed to work again. The NMA is preparing an extensive monitoring program that will examine the water and fish at various locations in the Saramacca River.
Fishermen want more information about water conditions and mercury levels and other possible contaminants in the fish. In any case, they adhere to the advice of the NMA. “We are not going to endanger ourselves and our buyers by going fishing and reselling the fish. Now we have to run to find other ways, hustle to get money, but that is not that easy.”
The government has now stepped in food parcels for the communities. Captain Rodney Sandel of Columbia called the provision of food aid a good signal from the government, but immediately said that this alone is not sufficient to cushion the consequences of the loss of fishing.
He emphasized that the fishermen want financial support from the government to help them hatch. Sunda: “I heard the president say on TV that the river should no longer be used. And that’s it.”
The victims discussed the situation with the Association of Indigenous Village Heads in Suriname and complained to the authorities through the village head. They want clarity about their future. The restrictions also affect other Columbia residents who rely on the river for their daily lives.
The disaster affected an area with around seven thousand residents, who are directly dependent on the river for their drinking water and food. Farmers use the water and the river is also an important place for children. During the big holidays, when they normally swim there every day, that was not possible this year.
(read more below the photo)
Multiple approach
Donovan Bogor of the NMA says that a multidisciplinary approach has now been set up for a so-called post-incident monitoring of the Saramacca River, in which various government services and experts work together. He mentions, among others, the NMA, the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and of Health, Welfare and Labor and the Office for Public Health Care. The researchers are divided into different groups.
For the research, the river is divided into monitoring zones. Areas with little human influence are used as a reference. This should allow a comparison to be made with places where human activities do take place.
Preparations for the water research have already started. To research the fish, nets must be set at strategic locations and samples must be taken. The NMA wants to officially start deploying the investigation teams on October 15.
Measurements
Bogor cannot yet indicate when fishermen can fish safely again. “If a fisherman were to ask when he can fish again, I would say: ‘Let’s do a thorough investigation first’.”
The researchers want to determine which values occur in the water and the fish and how they develop at different places and times. A one-off measurement does not provide sufficient certainty. After all, fish can come from other parts of the river, creeks or swamps.
If heavy metals or toxic substances are not or no longer detectable, this would be a favorable signal. Even then, multiple measurements are needed to arrive at reliable conclusions. “If they can’t tell us when we can fish again, our boats and nets will remain at one side. We are left to our own devices as if we were not Surinamese. I have a family to support. What next?” Sunda sounds desperate.
