A resident of the St Paul Bridge community, Anthony, says the use of dynamite as a way of fishing is unsafe.

A fisherman himself, Anthony explained that dynamite pollutes the water and weakens the fish, making them unsafe for human consumption.

He admitted the use of the banned explosives by some fishermen in the St Paul Bridge, Jamaica Road, Popo Beach, and West Point areas. The dynamite, he explained, is brought into the country from Sierra Leone and Guinea – and costs less than buying nets.

Speaking to this situation, two elderly ladies who also live in the area confirmed the use of the explosives by fishermen in the St Paul River. Although it is not a common occurrence right now, they were quick to point out that it is done regularly during the dry season.

The acting Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Jerome Nyekan, says it is illegal to use dynamite as a means of catching fish.

The EPA boss said those in the habit of throwing poisonous substances into rivers and harming marine creatures should stop the bad practice. If caught, he explained, violators will pay a fine of up to 50 thousand US dollars, and spend as many as 25 years in jail.

He said the EPA, over the years, has trained 28 customs officers nation-wide to enable them to combat the illegal entry of dynamite and other substances into the country.

The EPA is also planning a nation-wide awareness jamboree during the dry season, to explain the dangers of dynamite and other substances unfriendly to the environment.

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