THE ENVIRONMENT

WATER POLLUTION

An investigation into the effects of water pollution on the fishing industry in the Rae Town

Fishing Village in Kingston, Jamaica.

Topic: Water Pollution

Name of Candidates: Mikayla Adjmul, Nia-Lauren Harris, Nattory Henry

Candidate’s number: 1000490014,1000490243,1000490278

School: Holy Childhood High School

Centre Number: 100049

Teacher: Ms.Campbell

Territory: Jamaica
 Acknowledgements

With extraordinary joy the researchers wish to recognize the assistance given by a few people

which ended up being truly significant in conducting this research.

Firstly, the researchers want to offer true thanks to the heavenly Father above for giving life to

work exceptionally well to complete this Internal Assessment. The researchers cannot

communicate enough gratitude towards parents and guardians who have given consolation and

backed each progression of the way while doing this task.

We are thankful to the fishermen of Rae Town Fishing Village for taking as much time as is

needed to reply to the surveys given. Each answer is abundantly valued. With respect to the

circulation of the surveys, the researchers offer on account of relatives who took the significant

investment to issue the papers.

The consummation of this task would not be achieved without the direction of the instructor, Ms.

Campbell. We are grateful that she has given us enlightening notes and rules for executing our

appraisal in an acknowledged way. We want to say thanks to her for her understanding,

excitement, and proficient contribution to this research.

1
 Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 3

LITERATURE REVIEW 6

DATA COLLECTION SOURCES 10

PRESENTATION 12

ANALYSIS OF DATA 17

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 20

CONCLUSION 23

LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH 24

RECOMMENDATIONS 25

BIBLIOGRAPHY 27

APPENDICES 28

2
 INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica (2021, August 30), water pollution is the release of

substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic

ecosystems by Nathanson, J. A. One major pollutant that contaminates water is solid waste.

According to India Waterportal (N.D), solid waste is the unwanted or useless solid materials

generated from human activities in residential, industrial, or commercial areas. Jamaica does not

possess the technical and financial resources to adequately manage waste; this results in

inefficient collection, treatment, and disposal of waste hence the issue of water pollution.

Consequently, water pollution by solid waste affects Jamaica in multiple ways such as flooding

caused by clogged drains, gutters and overflowing gullies, the risk of water-borne diseases and

last but not least it threatens the livelihood of those in the fishing industry. Another cause of

water pollution in Jamaica is the lack of law enforcement. There are only a few laws that restrict

industries from carrying out improper waste management.

Rae Town Fishing village is located by the Kingston Harbour. It is an urban community whose

population is 2,072 from a census done on 2011 April 5 according to City Population (October

18, 2020). Solid waste in water bodies has caused a decrease in the measure of fish, hence, a

decline in the fishing industry of the community. Many organisations such as Nestlé Jamaica

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Health and Wellness Foundation and Jamaica Defence Force, have made efforts over the years to

get rid of the garbage in the community. However, the issue has been recurring despite the

endeavours being made to sustain the environment.

Problem Statement

An investigation into the effects of water pollution on the fishing industry in the Rae Town

Fishing Village in Kingston, Jamaica.

Purpose of Research

On account of this problem, this internal assessment aims to find out the causes of the solid

waste pollution including, the effects of the pollution on the fish industry and to determine

different solutions to avoid the recurrence of the solid waste accumulation. The researchers will

utilise various primary and secondary instruments to analyse the issue, make helpful

recommendations and come to the conclusion needed to complete this Internal assessment.

Research Objectives:

1. To identify the main cause of water pollution near the fishing village.

2. To gain insight into the challenges the fishermen face due to water pollution in the water

body.

3. To identify measures that may be implemented to reduce the effects of water pollution

in the fishing industry in Rae Town.

Research questions:

1. What is the main possible cause of water pollution in the water bodies near the fish village?

2. What is the main possible challenges the fishermen face due to pollution of the water bodies?

4
3. What measures can be implemented to minimise the effects of water pollution in the fishing

village in Rae Town? (measures- 2 is more effective)

Conceptualization of Variables

Anaerobically- Anaerobic may be used to describe an organism, a cell, a process or a mechanism

that can function without air (i.e. air to generally mean oxygen).

Agricultural run-off-water from farm fields due to irrigation, rain, or melted snow that flows over

the earth that can absorb into the ground, enter bodies of waters or evaporate.

Debris: Any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or

abandoned in the marine and coastal environment from any source.

Solid Waste: The unwanted or useless solid materials generated from human activities in

residential, industrial, or commercial areas

Water pollution: The release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for

human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems

Educational Value

This study contains a huge amount of instructive substance which is valuable to citizens of

Jamaica especially the residents of Rae Town Fishing Village. First and foremost the analysis

will have sharp information and comprehension of this theme. Understudies who concentrate on

Environmental Science, Biology and Social Studies can profit from this research too. The

discoveries of this exploration will direct the networks under perception to more readily deal

with their strong waste.

5
 LITERATURE REVIEW

In a video by Acciona (2017), the causes and effects of water pollution were discussed.

However, this video was utilized to focus on the main contributors to water pollution. The video

spoke about a number of factors primarily done through economic activities but, it did not speak

about how the citizens in their homes can contribute as well. In ways such as flushing garbage

and medication through their toilets and other drains in the house. As a result, the sewage and

wastewater from each household can be released into the sea. The video stated that “Humans are

the main cause of water pollution”. Human activities such as deforestation, manufacturing, and

farming can lead to contamination of nearby water bodies. In manufacturing industries, factories

unload their industrial waste into the surrounding water and release smoke which causes

temperature rise. The change in temperature can cause the modification of water by decreasing

the oxygen in its composition. Additionally, as ships and other water transportation deliver goods

from abroad to the factories unplanned spillage of oil can occur. Deforestation makes residue and

microorganisms show up under the dirt and hence contaminate groundwater. The video

elaborated on the farming aspect explaining that the pesticides utilized in agricultural fields can

channel through underground channels.

The researchers strongly agree with what was said pertaining to human activities being the major

contributor to water pollution. As the video mentioned, there have been reports of improper

disposal of industrial waste from factories along the southeast coast into Kingston Harbour. This

would ultimately impact the fish yield of the fishermen in this area. Seeing that it would be

convenient for the fishermen to fish in the Kingston Harbour it is safe to say the majority of the

6
fish in the harbour. However, the predominant use of the Harbour is for the docking of ships.

Thus there is a high chance of spillage of oils in the area.

Consequently, water pollution seems to be the biggest challenge the fishermen face. Two articles

published in the Observer and Gleaner entitled “Fishing in garbage... literally!”(2010) and

“Fishers netting ‘pure misery’ in Kgn Harbour '' (2020) respectively outline the struggles the

fishermen face trying to collect fish. There are many discouraging factors that drive the marine

population away. A major problem is plastic being found in the ocean. The plastic is often

ingested by the animals and even results in external injuries on fish. Gas and oil spills are also

frequent in the ocean. Agricultural runoff also gets into Kingston Harbour. One fisherman

complains that people living in and around the fishing village also dump raw sewage into the

water. All of these make fish migrate from the area. The water gets contaminated via 15 major

waterways and gullies. Contaminated water is an unhealthy environment for fish to live in which

pushes them to find a healthier environment to occupy. Along with polluting the water, the

plastic, iron, oil, and gas spills and runoff damage the fishermen's utensils. One fisherman

recalled pulling a very greasy net out of the water. Multiple fishermen spoke about how

challenging it is to remove tangled plastic from their engines. Plastic in the engine causes it to

overheat forcing the fishers to stop and wait for the engine to cool before proceeding. We concur

with the findings of the article because it is known that Kingston Harbour is responsible for

collecting all domestic waste from Downtown Kingston. The Waterfront is also a major

attraction where boat parties are sometimes held and this proves that it is likely that such parties

add to the oil spills reported in the article.

Lastly, in an article titled Jamaica: plastics ban creates new opportunities by the united

7
environmental programs, according to Jamaica’s Solid Waste Management Authority water

pollution in Jamaica severely impacts the nation’s Tourism and fishery industries. To revert the

issue a ban on plastic was made on January 1, 2019, as it was noted that of the large sum of

residential waste collected annually 15% was plastic. Rae town fishing village was featured as

one of the major coastal neighbourhoods which suffers from this issue, according to the article

“The gullies that traverse the area bring the most plastic waste to the region.” Similarly, The

Jamaica Observer writes in an article titled “ Rae Town plastic recycling project to reduce waste

entering harbour” about a plastic recycling project that was geared towards reducing the volume

of waste entering the Harbour. The article features a two-year recycling project implemented and

driven by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and the National

Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) respectively, As stated in the article communities

need to be engaged in environmental agendas such as proper waste disposal as this is an

important factor in the prosperity of Jamaican economy and ultimately the livelihood of citizens.

Additionally in consonance with NSWMA’s Executive Director, Audley Gordon, proper

management practices and the training of people in the communities is a great start in the journey

towards reducing marine litter from plastics generated from land-based activities.

We strongly agreed on the use of these two articles, firstly as both provided instances of

measures that were implemented by two major environmental organizations (NEPA and NSWA)

to reduce the effects of water pollution in the fishing industry in Rae Town. Having done

background research and prior knowledge of the major causes of water pollution such as human

activity, and garbage pollution- mostly plastics as the articles outlined. The measures such as the

plastic recycling, and banning of plastic projects were relevant to the cause of water pollution in

8
the Kingston Harbour, therefore, making these two sources valid and cohesive with the causes

and effects outlined by previously mentioned sources.

9
 DATA COLLECTION SOURCES

For this Caribbean Studies Internal Assessment, the researchers conducted applied research that

was quantitative in nature. This was carried out in the Rae town fishing village located by the

Kingston Harbour. The target population of the study was the fishermen ages 29 and older of the

said fishing village. The researchers decided that they needed a minimum of 25-30 participants

in order to conduct their research. The technique of sampling used was snowballing. In this

method, a potential subject was selected and the said subject was then asked to recruit other

participants for the study.

Primary Source

Primary source was used to collect the data for this study, firstly as primary data provides

evidence from first-hand sources. The research methodology used for primary data collection

included a questionnaire; this is a research tool featuring a series of questions used to collect

useful information from a targeted sample group for the purposes of a statistical study. A total of

28 questionnaires were distributed and collected by the researchers. The questionnaire consisted

of 13 closed-ended questions. These questions were in pursuit of finding the effects of water

pollution on the fishing industry in the Rae Town Fishing Village in Kingston, Jamaica. The

questionnaire contributed to the completion of the study by providing efficient numerical

information and reflective patterns of similarity and differences in opinions among the

respondents. The questionnaire assured the confidentiality of the respondents thus prompting

10
their willingness to participate. It is also of most importance in obtaining the views of the

fishermen being studied. Therefore the questionnaire was deemed reliable and effective.

Secondary sources

Secondary sources also contributed to the completion of this study. The researchers utilized four

journals and newspaper articles as well as a video to help guide the study. Among other internet

sources, additional websites were consulted to gather relevant information for the research topic.

They helped in the interpretation of the meaning of the data collected from the primary source.

These sources were selected from known scholarly websites based on their relevance to the

topic. After the data collection, the researcher referred to a few more articles concerning water

pollution in the target area. They then used these articles to further educate themselves in their

strive to discover and construct measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of water

pollution on the fishing village. They also utilised this knowledge to identify the other possible

causes of water pollution in the area.

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 PRESENTATION OF DATA

TABLE SHOWING THE MAIN FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO

WATER POLLUTION IN THE FISHING GROUNDS NEAR RAE TOWN

FISHING VILLAGE

Main factors that contribute to water Percentage of fishermen that agreed

pollution in the fishing grounds.

Industrial waste is dumped into nearby water 35.17%

systems

Household garbage collected and dumped into 21.43%

gullies

Oil spills and leaks 17.86%

Ships releasing waste 25%

Figure 1 shows the main factors that contributed to water pollution in the fishing grounds. The

majority of the fishermen 35.17% claimed that industrial waste being dumped into nearby the

water was the main cause, while 25% indicated that the ships releasing waste was the main cause

of water pollution, especially in the Kingston Harbour. Another 21.43% claimed it was

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household garbage collected and dumped into the gullies and only 17.86% said that it was the oil

spills and leaks causing the pollution problem.

TALLY CHART SHOWING THE LEVEL OF DECREASE IN INCOME OF RAE

TOWN FISHERMEN

The level of decrease in income Number of fishermen

1 |||| ||

2 ||

3 |||| ||||

4 ||||

5 ||||

Figure 2 showing the level of decrease in the income of the fishermen in Rae Town. The

majority of the fishermen (35.71%) rated their decrease in income a 3 out of 5. 25% rated it a 1

out of 5 while others (17.86%) rated it a 5 out of 5. 14.29% rated it a 4 out of 5 and 7.14% rated

it a 2 out of 5.

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 PICTOGRAPH SHOWING THE NUMBER OF FISHERMEN WHO HAD TO

CHANGE LOCATION DUE TO THE WATER POLLUTION

Responses Number of fishermen

Yes, I had to change to

another fishing ground

No, I did not have to

relocate to another fishing

ground.

Legend

2 fishermen =

1 fisherman=

Figure 3 shows the number of fishermen who had to relocate due to the water pollution problem.

Majority of the fishermen- 67.86% had to relocate to other fishing grounds while 32.14% of

fishermen did not have to.

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 Figure 4 displays the different activities fishermen engage in to earn a living outside of the

fishing industry. The fishermen (60.71%) said that they mostly took part in selling goods and

providing services. 28.57% indicated they opened up small businesses while only 10.71%

participated in illegal activities.

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Figure 5 shows how the pollutants affect the fishermen while fishing. Most (35.71%) fishermen

say plastic/ iron etc tangles up their nets. 28.57% of respondents pulled greasy nets out of the

sea. 17.86% Say the pollutants damage their equipment used i.e. nets, fishing lines. Another

17.86% said plastic gets trapped in the engine fan of the boat.

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Figure 6 portrays the solutions to eradicate the water pollution problem near the Rae Town

Fishing Village. A significant 46.4% of the population said that educating the citizens about the

negative effects that water pollution has on their livelihood of them would definitely solve the

problem. Others indicated 39.3% that the government should make and enforce a law that

protects the water bodies from being polluted while only 14.3% agreed with plastic recycling

projects.

ANALYSIS OF DATA

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Water pollution is a growing issue in the Caribbean and its effects on the Fishing Industry are

drastically on the rise. Over the past few years, many articles have been written highlighting the

issue. A number of articles were written about the Rae town fishing village and the detrimental

effects water pollution has on its fishermen.

As it relates to the major cause of the water pollution, the majority of the fishermen (35.17%)

according to figure 1 suspected industrial waste being dumped into nearby water was the main

contributor. There are 15 main waterways that deposit such waste into the harbour.

According to NEPA, large amounts of solid waste are unloaded into these 15 gullies/ waterways

which travel through Kingston ending up in the Harbour, similarly to the Riverton landfill.

Industrial waste moves down the gullies from factories near the Harbour and adds to its low-

quality health.

Due to improper disposal of waste, fishermen faced financial difficulties and had to find

alternative ways to sustain their wealth. Figure 2 used a rating scale to indicate the decrease in

income experienced by the fishermen. The most voted rating was 3 out of 5. 35.71% of

fishermen voted 3 out of 5. This indicated that their income has not been affected by a pretty

significant ratio. These men are more likely those who sought to generate income through other

means. This income could be from the profit on goods and services they sell in their wholesale

and retail shops. This assumption can be backed by figure 4 as the researchers observed a

whopping 60% response that does have a side hustle which is selling goods and offering their

services. Knowing that Rae Town offers a community tourism product, fishermen could possibly

try to accommodate the tourists by giving the tourists a short tour and educating them on the

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history of the aesthetically pleasing community. Seeing that this community does receive many

visitors, the fishermen that do open up small businesses such as restaurants can make a profit.

Data collected from Figure 3, unexpectedly, only 10.71% admitted to participating in illegal

activities. The researchers assume that this adds to the illegal hustles in our economy decreasing

our GDP. As these generated incomes remain unaccounted for in our economy.

Instead of finding an alternative way to make money, some fishermen visit other fishing grounds

to catch fish, according to figure 3 67.85% of them do so.

The fishermen not only experience income setbacks, figure 5 also shows how the pollutants

affect the fishermen while carrying out their activities. The majority of fishermen (35.71%) say

debris tangles up their nets. This obviously limits or even completely impedes the fish caught in

the net.

The fishers were asked to suggest a suitable solution to eradicate the issue. In figure 6, 46.4% of

the sample strongly believed that informing citizens about the negative effects of water pollution

can lessen the impact of this problem. They may have believed this because many reported that

most of the pollutants come from domestic waste. On the contrary, 39.4% of respondents

believed making and enforcing laws to protect water bodies from being polluted would make a

difference. The researchers believe that the respondents gave this response because they believe

the citizens of the country do know the negative effects of their actions on the water. Hence, the

fishermen strongly agree that if consequences are put in place for their actions a positive change

can be made.

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 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

It was found that the main cause of water pollution was the dumping of pollutants from

households and industrial waste from factories through gullies into the Kingston Harbour.

Similar to the video, the results depicted that factories deposit their industrial waste in the

surrounding water. The video did not speak on how citizens contribute to the water pollution

problem however 21.43% of the fishermen implied this as a factor. Though the video discussed

that through deforestation and farming, water bodies can be contaminated by residue and

pesticides respectively. In the research, none of these causes were factors contributing to the

pollution problem in Kingston Harbour. This is because the predominant economic activity in

this area is manufacturing hence, there are a number of factories along the coast-Kingston

Petroleum Company and Kingston Wharves limited to name a few. As the video mentioned, the

fumes from the factories causes a “temperature increase which leads to alterations in the water

reducing the oxygen level” due to the limited oxygen available, the fishes will begin the breathe

slowly and will respire anaerobically. This results in large fish kills hence less fish yields for the

fishermen.

According to Jamaica’s Solid Waste Management Authority, water pollution in Jamaica severely

impacts the nation’s Tourism and fishery industries; this includes the small-scale fishermen of

the Rae Town fishing village. In light of the results gathered by the researchers, it was found that

pollution in fact causes a level of decrease in the income of the fishers in said village. The

minority of the fishermen gave a low to the medium rating for the decrease in levels of income,

20
this could otherwise be said that the majority experiences a moderate level of decrease in

income.

Based on the findings the majority(46.4%) of the respondents presumed that educating the

citizens would be the most effective method to reduce water pollution in Kingston Harbour.

Unexpectedly, however, a significant percentage of 39.3% of respondents agreed, that the

enforcement of environmental laws and consequences for breaking such laws as their preferred

solutions to water pollution. However the sources used for this study differ from these findings

as plastic recycling projects were said to be the most fitting measure to reduce the impacts of

water pollution, both the articles by the united environmental programs and the Jamaica

Observer outline measures taken by two organizations to reduce water pollution in the Kingston

Harbour. The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and the National

Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) in both articles felt plastics were the most significant

contributing factor to pollution in the area and that plastic recycling projects would help the

cause. Neither of them mentioned the education of citizens as a method to help reduce the effects

of water pollution. Enforcing laws is often a very effective solution to the problem. Putting

consequences such as fines or potential jail time may serve as a perfect hindrance to the pollution

of our waters.

The findings of this research confirmed the information put out from other sources to be true

about all the named challenges the fishers experienced. It was found that the preponderance

(35.71%) of fishers experienced plastic and/or iron tangling in their nets, grease in their fishing

nets, damaged equipment as a result of pollutants, and damage to their boat engine fan by plastic.

21
Sources used in the literature review specifically speak about oil in the ocean. From the study we

are able to see the effect of this; causing fishermen's nets to become slippery making fish escape

the nets easily. Multiple accounts of plastic being stuck in the engine similar to the reports from

Gleaner. Despite these challenges posed the fishermen do not believe that they are greatly

affected by all these deterring factors. The finding from our study and fishermen themselves also

denies that this impacts them. They claim to know how to maneuver these difficulties in the area

in which they fish.

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 CONCLUSION

Based on the information gathered from this investigation, it has been found according to the Rae

Town fishermen that the main cause of water pollution in the area is industrial water being

dumped into nearby water sources ( 35.17%). Second, behind this was the release of wastes like

toxic chemicals by ships into the harbour. Additional research proved that the response was

indeed the major cause of water pollution in the harbour. According to statistics and the data

collected, the most impacting effect of this issue supported by 35.71% of the sample, was due to

garbage(plastic, irons, etc) pollution of the water. The fishermen oftentimes experienced

lessened yield.

A notable observation from the data collected was that the reason the respondents experienced a

decrease in income to a lesser extent. Using a scale of 1-5, it was found that the majority

(35.71%) experienced the 3rd level of reduced income. This was due to their involvement in

other economic activities. These activities include selling goods and offering their services to

maintain a steady income. It was also highlighted that as the fishermen venture out to sea their

fishing equipment would be damaged due to the plastic pollutants. Their fishing nets would get

tangled in the plastics and these very same plastics often get lodged in their engines. In addition

to this, the men also had to relocate often to the different fishing grounds to satisfy their needs

and want as fields yield was being impacted by water pollution.

Finally, it was found that measures such as plastic recycling projects, and education

communities. On the impacts of improper waste management etc. As well as the enforcement of

environmental laws could be utilised to counteract the effects of water pollution on the fishermen

23
in the Rae town fishing village. The majority of the sample agree with the education of citizens

as the most effective measure, which supports the secondary sourced information. All things

considered, though water pollution impacts the fish yield by fishermen to a small extent, there

are still traces of its impact as fishermen have to ensure that they establish a secondary stream of

income to maintain their livelihood.

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 LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH

Upon completing the internal assessment, there were some limitations that the researchers faced

when carrying out the study. Firstly, the ideal sample size could not be met for conducting the

study. This was attributed to the majority of the target sample, this being the fishermen not being

present at the Kingston Harbour; some had already ventured out to sea to begin their task while

others had gone to distribute their catch to merchants in the nearby markets. With this being said

there were fewer persons available to complete the questionnaires.

Consequently, the data collection process was time-consuming as the return of more fishermen

had to be awaited to continue the distribution of the questionnaires to acquire a suitable sample

size. Finally, as the research was conducted in person the location (Kingston Harbour) became a

minor issue for the members, as such not all of the researchers were on site due to the large

difference in the proximity of the Kingston Harbour and the researchers’ home.

25
 RECOMMENDATIONS

Though the data collected from this study did not completely coincide with the initial main cause

of water pollution that the researchers had in mind, based on the collected data there are some

recommendations that could be made to minimise the effects of the issues that were highlighted

on the livelihood of the fishermen.

Firstly the government could put in place stricter penalties for littering and improper garbage

disposal by citizens that potentially cause harm to the fishing industry and ultimately the people

that benefit from this sector, the fishermen.

Secondly, increase the regularity of community clean-ups and/or increase the frequency of

weekly garbage collection by the NSWMA in communities therefore persons have no excuse to

dump in nearby gullies.

Thirdly charges should be placed on the companies that own the ships responsible for releasing

waste e.g. chemicals into the harbour. The final recommendation would be to allow persons with

authority to conduct outreaches in communities to educate citizens on the dangers of littering and

the reasons they should refrain from dumping in the gullies.

26
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

● BRENTON, C. (2010, October 3). Fishing in garbage... literally! Jamaica Observer.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Fishing-in-garbage---literally_8015241

● Clarke, P., & Hemans, K. (2020, December 15). Fishers netting 'pure misery' in Kgn

Harbour | Lead Stories. Jamaica Gleaner. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-

stories/20201215/fishers-netting-pure-misery-kgn-harbour

● Jamaica Gleaner. (2020, December 15). Fishers netting ‘pure misery’ in Kgn Harbour.

Jamaica Gleaner. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20201215/fishers-

netting-pure-misery-kgn-harbour

● Jamaica: plastics ban creates new opportunities. (2021, January 25). UNEP.

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/jamaica-plastics-ban-creates-new-

opportunities

● Lewin, W. (2017, March 14). Causes and effects of water pollution - Sustainability |

ACCIONA. YouTube. Retrieved Febuary 24, 2022, from https://youtu.be/71IBbTy-_n4

● Rae Town plastic recycling project to reduce waste entering harbour. (2019, October

31). Jamaica Observer. https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/rae-town-plastic-

recycling-project-to-reduce-waste-entering-harbour_178486

APPENDICES

27
A SURVEY TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION ON THE

FISHING INDUSTRY IN THE RAE TOWN FISHING VILLAGE IN KINGSTON,

JAMAICA.

Dear Fishermen,

This survey is being implemented for the purpose of investigating the effects of water pollution

on the fishing industry in Rae Town Fishing Village. The survey searches for the outcomes of

causes of water pollution near the fishing village and to gain insight on the challenges the

fishermen face due to water pollution in the water body. This project is being executed as an

assignment, which is a part of the requirements for a Caribbean Studies route the researchers are

currently following. Please answer the following question with sincerity. Your identity is not

required, so need to worry about other respondents knowing how you gave your responses.

Answers are neither wrong nor right, it is not a test. Select your answers with a tick in the spaces

provided. I am grateful for your assistance.

Mikayla Adjmul, Nia- Lauren Harris and Nattory Henry

Students, Holy Childhood High School

1) To which age group do you belong?

18-28 [ ] 29-40[ ] 41-62 [ ]

2) How long have you been a resident of Rae Town Fishing Village?

[ ] under one year

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 [ ] one to five years

[ ] five to ten years

[ ] over a decade

3) Where do you fish?

[ ] in the Kingston Harbour

[ ] outside the Harbour

4) Do you agree that the majority of the fishermen’s livelihood has been impacted by water

pollution?

a) Strongly agree

b) Agree

c) Neutral

d) Disagree

e) Strongly disagree

5) The number of fishes caught has decreased due to water pollution’. Is the statement true or

false?

a) True

b) False

6) How true are the reports on the decline in the number of fishes caught?

a) Not true

b)Partially true

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 c)Very true

7) What is the rate at which this decrease happens yearly?

a) 25%

b) 50%

c) 75%

d) 100%

8) What are the main factors that contribute to the water being polluted?

a) Industrial waste is dumped into nearby water systems

b) household garbage is collected and dumped into gullies.

c) Oil spills and leaks

d) Ships releasing waste

9) On a scale of 1-5(1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest), what is the level of income

decrease being experienced by fishermen?

1[ ]

2[ ]

3[ ]

4[ ]

5[ ]

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 10) From observation, what are the activities the fishermen are involved in outside of the

fishing industry?

a) Selling goods and providing services

b) Participating in illegal activities

c) Open small businesses

11) Do you have to change location when there are limited fish in the water due to the

pollution problem?

Yes [ ]

No [ ]

12) How does the pollution problem affect you while you are fishing?

a) Plastic gets trapped in the engine fan of the boat

b) Damages equipment (ie nets, fishing lines)

c) Plastic/ iron, etc tangles net

d) Nets gets greasy

13) What measures do you think could be implemented to eradicate the pollution problem?

(a) Plastic recycling projects

(b) Make and enforce a law that protects the water bodies from being polluted

(c) Educate the citizens about the negative effects that water pollution has on the livelihood

of the fishermen

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