The practice of pig rearing along riverbanks is causing concern for the Forestry Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation.

Acting Director of the Forestry Department, Casmus McLeod, addressed the issue during an interview with NBC News. Mr. McLeod said this practice is contaminating the rivers.

He noted: "The rearing of pigs along the riverbanks; that's a serious problem as well, and there has to be some sort of project in collaboration with Public Health and Agriculture Extension or those who deal with the Animal Health Unit; those are the players that have to come in there, because that problem has to be arrested. Because if you're talking about tourism, and you're talking about building our resilience to climate change, we have to clean up our rivers, because the next best thing to pipe-borne water is the river. And if we have instances where we cannot access our pipe-borne water, we still have to turn to the river, and we need to keep our rivers clean."

Mr. McLeod added that the potential of the nation’s rivers is being compromised because of pollution.

He went on to note: "Because there are so many nice picnic areas, so many deep holes, but then if the rivers are not clean, persons cannot enjoy them. So they need to see it for what it's worth, seeing those things. So the fishing, and the bathing, and the swimming, all that. Our young people these days cannot bask in the luxury of bathing in the river like what you and I have done as kids and these are some of the things that we need to bring back. And I think that is another area that we could use as a project for the pigs at the riverbanks, etc."

SOURCE: National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC Radio)