- Water pollution also harms the lake’s fishing areas | File photo: EFE
Zulia journalist Lenín Danieri published a report in X about the smell caused by pollution in Lake Maracaibo, Zulia state, and how it affects nearby residents.
“Verdín. That’s what they call the microalgae that affect the shores of Lake Maracaibo. With the sun and heat they decompose and the smell they produce is very strong and can be felt for miles around,” wrote the reporter on his X account on Wednesday, August 14.
Danieri explained that the decomposition of microalgae, a phenomenon known as scum, also harms the lake’s fishing areas.
A TikTok user posted a video on August 13, in which he highlighted the conditions of the body of water with the description “This is what Lake Maracaibo looks like.” The images show the contaminated water and the scum that covers the surface of the lake.
A recurring problem in Lake Maracaibo
The verdigris is a green layer composed of plants, fungi, bacteria, lichens and mosses that forms in some waters, especially in stagnant waters. This phenomenon has affected Lake Maracaibo for several years, according to non-governmental organizations such as Clima 21.
One of the reasons for the proliferation of this layer of microorganisms is the oil spills in the area, which cause the water to stagnate and increase the pollution of the lake.
Clima 21 has been monitoring oil spills in Lake Maracaibo since 2022 and reported in early 2024 that these situations were occurring more frequently and causing concern among environmentalists, but also among residents of the area.
“The increasing presence of continuous leaks and spills is worrying. The information we receive is from the media and local residents, because there are no official figures on the exact number of spills that currently exist,” said Alejandro Álvarez, director of Clima 21 in a radio interview on January 30.
The activist said that the layers of pollutants visible on the surface of the lake are not the result of a few oil spills but of decades of oil leaks. He added that it would also take several years to restore the quality of the water.
They asked to prevent oil spills in the lake
The Environmental Observatory of Venezuela EPA Project, of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Fundaredes, In June, the Venezuelan government was asked to implement policies and actions to prevent oil spills. in Lake Maracaibo (Zulia), as well as improving wastewater treatment.
The State must implement effective policies and actions to prevent oil spills from continuing, in addition to improving wastewater treatment and reducing the use of plastics,” the organization X said on June 13.
He said that investment should be made in water treatment plants and water quality monitoring, as well as in promoting sustainable practices in industrial and commercial activities operating in the area.
The EPA Project said that the preservation of this ecosystem is not only vital for the conservation of biodiversity, but also for the socioeconomic sustainability of the state of Zulia.
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2024-08-14 18:28:43
