- The Azul Ambientalista Foundation insisted on the need to replace pipes and reactivate treatment plants | Photo: @MedioSurVe | Twitter
Yohan Flores, director of the Azul Ambientalista Foundation, warned about the reappearance of green algae in Lake Maracaibo, Zulia state. This situation is due to environmental and human factors, according to the non-governmental organization (NGO).
According to Flores, the Azul Ambientalista team carried out a tour of different areas of the lake in January 2024 and confirmed that the scum had disappeared. However, he recalled that, due to the change in climate and the stagnation of the southern winds, the scum reappeared.
“They are cyanobacteria with microorganisms that do not contain chlorophyll, which allows them to carry out photosynthesis that causes it to bloom quickly and that is why they have historically been identified as blue and green algae,” he explained in an interview for Union Radio.
The director of Azul Ambientalista also pointed out that one of the factors that influenced the reappearance of the green algae is that the waters have not been treated.
The areas affected by the green algae include Santa Rosa de Agua, the municipality of San Francisco, the eastern coast and the south of Lake Maracaibo.
Human factors that impacted Lake Maracaibo
Flores said that the treatment plants to treat the water have not been reactivated, as promised by the Presidential Commission for the Rescue and Conservation of Lake Maracaibo.
“They had promised that in the first phase they would reactivate four treatment plants, but today we see that none of them have been reactivated and this is causing this green growth to flourish again throughout Lake Maracaibo,” he explained.
He also denounced that the pipes through which diesel, gasoline, and other petroleum derivatives pass have not been replaced.
“Nothing has been done. All the broken pipes are still pouring oil, and it is spreading to different areas of the eastern or southern coast of the lake,” he added.
The director of Azul Ambientalista reported that since June they began to observe the reappearance of the green algae in Lake Maracaibo.
Consequences of the reappearance of verdigris
Yohan Flores said that the reappearance of the green algae in Lake Maracaibo has a negative impact on the environment and also on economic activity.
Some of the consequences of this situation are the following:
-Appearance of dead fish and animals on the shores
-Impact on the flora of Lake Maracaibo
-Tourism has been affected by the foul odor produced by the verdigris
-Water sports activities on the lake have been tarnished
Flores also warned that if the necessary actions are not taken, the scum could spread to the entire lake, as occurred in 2023.
In addition to the consequences listed by Flores, the scum has also affected fishing activity. On August 14, at least 300 fishermen and shrimp processors
They stopped their activities on the lake.
They said that the clean-up work on the lake, promoted by the Ministry of the Environment, is not sufficient to control the pollution.
#green #algae #reappear #Lake #Maracaibo
2024-08-20 19:43:38
