In an effort to reduce contamination and to maintain a viable ecosystem, several entities have released tens of thousands of fingerlings (tiny fish) into the Yaque del Norte, the country’s most important river in agricultural and environmental terms.
Dario Cruz Holguin, the president of the ISA alumni association (Instituto Superior de Agricultura), told reporters that this latest batch of fingerlings brings to 150,000 the fish that have been released into the river so far this year. The goal is to reach three million.
The fish will help keep the river clean and when they are full-grown, they will be a source of protein for the people downstream. The fish assist in the elimination of biological wastes in the rivers and streams.
According to Cruz Holguin, over the past 50 years, some 150 streams and creek and small rivers have disappeared due to a loss of forest cover in their watersheds and contamination along their waterways.
The program is carried out with the help of the local city government, the Colegio Iberia, the neighborhood watch groups of Brisas del Yaque and the Maimoncito Cooperative.
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Diario Libre
18 March 2019