People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding, has claimed responsibility for yesterday’s fish restocking activity in the Rio Cobre in St. Catherine.

Thousands of tilapia fingerlings were released into the river, to help revive the fish population following a recent fish kill.

Golding’s claim has caused some confusion because yesterday, bauxite company U C Rusal / Windalco stated that it carried out the restocking, as part of remedial measures stipulated by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).

In a statement, the PNP P president noted that the restocking was a fulfillment of a promise made in the wake of last year’s fish kill incident.

Golding said that in collaboration with Donnie bunting, a prominent fish farmer, 3,000 rocky mountain white fingerlings, supplied by Bunting at his request, were released into the Rio Cobre, marking a significant step, towards the restoration of the river’s aquatic population.

He said, Bunting has confirmed, that an additional 17,000 fingerlings, under this arrangement will be deposited into the river, in the coming months, gradually revitalizing its bio-diversity.

The PNP President said, he did not waiver in his commitment to restore the ecological balance of the Rio Cobre, through this restocking initiative, despite experiencing delays, due to the authorization process from NEPA and other relevant authorities.

He said the PNP acknowledges reports indicating that Windalco purchased red tilapia hybrid fingerlings from Bunting which were also released into the Rio Cobre, yesterday.

Golding said their contribution to this collective effort is appropriate, to help restore the river’s ecosystem.

He said the PNP firmly believes in forging partnerships with Jamaicans, who share the commitment to environmental conservation.