Many of the waste generated by the secondary sector ends up at sea, including mercury. Although this metal is not lethal to marine living beings, it can be dangerous in humans if we frequently eat mercury-contaminated fish. It can affect us physically or mentally.

The Caribbean is one of the concerns shared by many countries in the south of the sea. They got together and decided to deal with the problem. The Minamata agreement was signed in August last year. In this agreement, each country undertook to control its production companies in order to know the origin of the main contamination. Now, the results have been made public and it has been found that, for example, 70% of the total mercury reaching Trinidad and Tobago comes from the gas and oil industry, or that bauxite production in Jamaica is the one that generates the most mercury.

Once the results are known, the association indicates that action must be taken. Yasmin Jude, St. Lucia Environmental Development Coordinator, is clear: “Mercury is a global problem that cannot be addressed without the cooperation of all countries; it is a subject that must be controlled.” Trinidad and Tobago Environmental Development Coordinator Keima Gardiner added that the 2020 target is to reduce the consumption of mercury-using products in her country.

Fisheries and tourism

Brazil is also a member of the Caribbean Association and it is precisely in Brazil that many of the fish found in the southern Caribbean are fished. The country’s coordinator, Jewel Batchasingh, also has a serious problem with mercury and believes that it can directly affect tourism: “Fishing and tourism are two important industries for the peoples of the northern coast of Brazil, and people stop eating fish when they know they may be contaminated with mercury.”