Popcaan Expresses Outrage Over Mass Fish Kill At Reach Falls
The Unruly Boss Popcaan has expressed outrage over the possible use of chemicals to catch fish at Reach Falls, which has resulted in the temporary closure of the Portland-based attraction.
The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) said large numbers of dead fish and crayfish were spotted on Saturday and Sunday, and that evidence suggests that poisonous chemicals were used in the river, which resulted in a fish kill that has caused an unbearable stench at the attraction.
The news did not sit well with the Inviolable deejay who, on Tuesday morning, wrote on his Instagram story: “Man them stop poisoning the river them and go suck unu mada, poison a whole river for your own personal gain!! suck unu muma!!!! 😡😡😡.”
According to the Star, the Mayor of Port Antonio, Paul Thompson, has also bemoaned the culprits’ actions, citing that the closure will have adverse implications on vendors who depend on the attraction for a living.
“It is going to be a tough period for the people selling in that area, as, with the closure of the facility, albeit temporary, it will affect those who depend on it to earn their livelihood,” Thompson said.
“It is a rather selfish move on the part of those that poisoned the water ways. This will also affect the already fragile tourism sector in Portland, which has experienced a nose-dive in tourists arrival since the late 1980s and early 1990s,” Thompson concluded.
According to the Visit Jamaica website, Reach Falls was discovered by runaway slaves from plantations in the neighboring parish of St Thomas who sought refuge in the hills of the John Crow mountains. Reach Falls is a luxurious eco attraction hidden in the Montane Forrest on the John Crow Mountain Range.
The attraction offers a unique blend of comfort, relaxation, and adventure. Reach Falls is centred on an exotic waterfall cascading down a rock face into an emerald river pool. The lush greenery from the Montane Forrest and the refreshing pool beneath the cascading waterfall promises a memorable experience. Reach Falls offers the opportunity to enjoy the cascading waterfall, a picnic area, and a guided tour upstream the Driver’s River (which feeds the waterfall) featuring a visit inside our legendary underwater cave.
Reach Falls has also been featured in Hollywood films including Tom Cruise’s Cocktails and the remake of Lord of the Flies.
It is no secret that Poppy is a lover of nature and, especially, bodies of water. So, his outrage at the closure of Reach Falls is understandable.
For example, the music video for Next To Me with Toni-Ann Singh saw the rumored couple kissing on a rock in the middle of a river.
In a 2014 interview with Fader the Risky deejay disclosed that he had his very own secret getaway spot in St. Thomas where he goes to unwind.
“Sometime mi just go in a di country, and just chill ….up pon di riverbed. Nobody nuh know… mi just missing,” he said at the time.