The government says it is in the process of increasing the fines and penalties for breaches under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act, to send a strong signal to companies that environmental protection is not optional.

This, following a recent fish kill in the Rio Cobre in St. Catherine, which has been linked to an alleged overflow of industrial effluent from the Windalco Bauxite Plant.

Describing the fish kill as unacceptable, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Pearnel Charles Jr. said the government is committed to taking steps to protect the environment.