Environmental Management Authority CEO Dr Joth Singh says the EMA will be seeking assistance from laboratories outside T&T to find out what caused the mass deaths of birds and fish last month.Singh had sent samples from the carcasses of 150 corbeaux that were found on April 9 at the National Heliport in Chaguaramas and samples from 50 crayfish that were killed intentionally at the Marianne River in Brasso Seco with the purpose of harvesting them.
However, preliminary tests done on the birds proved inconclusive.In an telephone interview yesterday, Singh said he was disappointed with the lack of results.He said: "I am disappointed we haven't heard back from the pathology lab. We are looking at options to pursue. We understand a report was prepared and they could not find anything conclusive but this was not official. We made attempts to contact them but were not successful."
He said the Institute of Marine Affairs did not provide any results to show what caused the death of the crayfish last month."In connection with the crayfish, the Institute of Marine Affairs indicated to us that they cannot analyse the sample after this length of time," Singh said."We were looking for another lab because it was held for three weeks...The EMA will have to look at laboratory testing out of Trinidad.
"The laboratories here have a set protocol and we are trying to find a service provider who will test on a timely basis."Singh said the EMA believed the corbeaux were poisoned.He said. "We have no reason to believe otherwise. I am disappointed because we should have a well developed system in Trinidad. It is an academically inclined country."
