“Umgwaqo Ohambayo” WaseCanada Oyisimangaliso
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ECANADA
“Mfula muni lona?” “Lona umfula ongenamkhawulo,” kuphendula umqondisi wohambo womdabu
UNYAKA kwakungu-1535. Umhloli wamazwe owayebuza onguJacques Cartier, wayengazi ukuthi lomfula ayesezowufaka ebalazweni ngelinye ilanga wawuyoba ngomunye wemifula ebaluleke kakhulu eNyakatho Melika. Lomfula waba “umgwaqo” wokuqala obanzi owasetshenziswa abahwebi bezikhumba nezakhamuzi zamakoloni futhi ekugcineni wasetshenziswa imikhumbikazi yasolwandle yosuku lwanamuhla. Ubanzi ngamakhilomitha angu-130 esizalweni sawo futhi mude ngamakhilomitha angu-1 200 ukusuka e-Atlantic Ocean uye eLake Ontario.
Izincwadi zomlando zithi nguCartier owaqamba lomfulakazi ngokuthi iSt. Lawrence. Ekugcineni, lelogama lasebenza kokubili kulomfula nasethekwini ongena kulo olwandle.
Ezinye zezindawo ezinhle kakhulu eNyakatho Melika zigudle uMfula iSt. Lawrence. Amawa anamadwala nezigodi ezimangelengele zehlela emfuleni zenze enye yezingoxi eziphahlwe amawa ezinde kunazo zonke emhlabeni, iNgoxi Ephahlwe Amawa yaseSaguenay, cishe engamakhilomitha angu-100 ubude. UMfula omkhulu iSaguenay ungenela ku-St. Lawrence uvela enyakatho bese kwakheka isizalo okuhlangana kuso amagagasi olwandle namanzi omfula.
Kulapha, lapho izazi zesayensi yezinto eziphilayo zithi kuhlangana khona imihlaba emibili ngaphansi kwamanzi. Amanzi olwandle abandayo anosawoti angena ngemigudu esekujuleni kwamamitha angu-400 ngaphansi kwamanzi, bese ekhuphuka ayoxubana namanzi amahle avela kulemifula. Izinto eziphila emanzini ziningi kulesizalo. Okuhlala ndawonye ngesilinganiso esithile ama-beluga (imikhomo emincane emhlophe), imikhomo okuthiwa ama-minke, imikhomo okuthiwa ama-fin, kanye nemikhomo emikhulu eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ngokuvamile lezizinhlobo ezine zemikhomo zihlala ziqhelelene ngamakhulu amaningi amakhilomitha. Yingakho komunye unyaka wamuva izihambeli ezingaphezu kuka-70 000 zithathe uhambo lokuyobuka imikhomo emfuleni iSt. Lawrence.
Osebeni lomfula kunenhlanganisela ehluke ukuzedlula zonke emhlabeni yezitshalo, izilwane, nezinyoni. Kunezinhlobo eziningi kakhulu zezinhlanzi, izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-20 zezilwane eziphila kokubili emanzini nasezweni kanye nezihuquzelayo, nezinhlobo ezingu-12 zezilwane ezincelisayo eziphila emanzini. Kuthiwa kunezinhlobo ezingaba ngu-300 zezinyoni ezitholakala emaxhaphozini nasogwini lwawo. Izinyoni ezithuthayo njengamadada namahansi aseqhweni athuthelekela kulomfula ngezinkulungwane.
Enhla nalomfula, izintaba ezicwathile eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ziphahle usebe lwawo. Odukathole bamahlathi baphahle izindonga zawo. Iziqhingi ezinhle zithe mpó phakathi nawo. Amapulazi, imizi, namadolobha kuqhwakele ogwini lwawo.
Ukunyuka nezwe uma usuka eMontreal kunemisinga enamandla ehamba itholakala kulomfula ibanga lamakhilomitha angu-160. Ukudlula kulemisinga, uhambo luba injabulo kakhudlwana njengoba uhamba ibanga lamakhilomitha angu-60 emanzini athe gqwa, gqwa ngeziqhingi ezibizwa ngokuthi iziQhingi Eziyinkulungwane (empeleni zicishe zibe yizinkulungwane ezimbili ngenani).
Izinto Ezihamba ‘Kulomgwaqo’
Kusukela emuva ngawo-1680, izifiki zaseYurophu zasongoza ukunweba ‘lomgwaqo’ ukwazi ukuhamba izinto zasolwandle zidlule eMontreal ngemisele ukuze zigegele imisinga enamandla. Cishe eminyakeni engu-300 kamuva, lelophupho lafezeka lapho kuvulwa iSt. Lawrence Seaway ngo-1959. Kuthiwa ingomunye wemisebenzi yobunjiniyela omkhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni.
Ukuze lendlela yasemanzini engamakhilomitha angu-293 iphelele, kwakhiwa amasango amasha ayisikhombisa phakathi kweMontreal neLake Ontario. Lokhu kwadinga ukumbiwa kwenhlabathi namadwala angama-cubic mitha ayizigidi ezingu-150 okwakungathi uma ithelwe kahle yaba indunduma enkundleni yebhola, yayingaba intaba engamakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-35 ukuphakama. Isilinganiso sikakhonkolo owasetshenziswa emasangweni wawungakha udedangendlale womgwaqo ohamba izimoto ezine zilinganisene ongasuka eLondon uye eRome.
UJacques LesStrang, umlobi we-Seaway—The Untold Story of North America’s Fourth Seacoast, wacaphuna omunye ukaputeni wemikhumbi owathi: “Ayikho indlela yasemanzini efana nayo emhlabeni wonke. Akulula ukuhamba kuyo, kodwa ubukhulu balomfula, ukuhlokoma kweziMpophoma zaseNiagara, amachibi neziqhingi eziningi kukhanga kakhulu.”
Imikhumbi yasolwandle ekhuphuka ‘ngalomgwaqo’ onwetshiwe iye eDuluth-Superior eseLake Superior ngasohlangothini lwase-United States inyuka njengokungathi inyuka ngezitebhisi ize ifike emamitheni angu-180 ngaphezu kolwandle, okuwukuphakama kwebhilidi elinezitezi ezingu-60. Uhambo selulonke lungamakhilomitha angu-3 700 ukusuka e-Atlantic Ocean.
Leyomikhumbi yasolwandle iye yaletha ukuchuma ngokwezomnotho emadolobheni agudle leyondlela. Incwadi ethi The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence System iyaphawula: “Njengoba iphakathi kwemingcele yamazwe amabili kunendawo enothile yezimboni yeCanada ne-United States, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-100 kanye nomthombo owodwa omkhulu womnotho wezimboni nezokukhiqiza omkhulu kunayo yonke emazweni asentshonalanga.”
Phakathi kwamachweba angaphezu kuka-150 agudla lendlela ukusuka e-Atlantic Ocean kuya eLake Superior (eCanada) kukhona iQuebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Sault Sainte Marie, neThunder Bay (nase-United States) iBuffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, neDuluth-Superior. Imikhumbi evela eCasablanca, Le Havre, Rotterdam, nakwezinye izindawo ithutha izigidi zamathani empahla e-St. Lawrence unyaka ngamunye. Ukusetshenziswa ‘kwalomgwaqo’ kungenisa amashumi ezinkulungwane zemisebenzi nezinkulungwane zezigidi zamaRandi zentela unyaka ngamunye.
Okushaqisa Abaningi
Nokho, ngemva kweminyaka engu-30 kuhanjwa ‘kulomgwaqo,’ abaningi baye bazwakalisa ukushaqeka. Amakhulu amaningi eminyaka oMfula i-St. Lawrence kuhlanganise nenqolobane yayo yamanzi yaseGreat Lakes “iye yasetshenziswa njengendawo yokuchitha amanzi angcolile nokulahla udoti,” kusho i-Environment Canada. “LoMfula Omkhulu” wawukwazi ukukusingatha lokho, kwaze kwaba muva nje.
Imikhumbi emikhulu yasolwandle iye yathululela imfucumfucu yayo emachibini anamanzi amahle nakulomfula. Izimboni namadolobha agudla lomfula aye anezela amakhemikhali anobuthi kulomfula. Ezolimo ziye zengeza amakhemikhali azo. Imiphumela ehlangene yalokhu iye yawufaka engozini lomfula.
Njengoba izinto ezengeziwe ezingcolisa lomfula zingena kuwo, izinhlobo ezithile zezinhlanzi zanyamalala kancane kancane. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukubhukuda kwenqatshelwa. Kwase kulandela ukuvinjelwa kokudliwa kwezinhlanzi ezithile nama-shellfish. Ukuphuza amanzi aphuma kompompi avela kulomfula kwangabazeka. Izinhlobo ezithile zezilwane zasendle zaba sengozini ngokomthetho. Kwatholakala ama-beluga akhafulwe amanzi efile, eyizisulu zokugula okubangelwa ushevu osemanzini.
Ukuhlanza “Umgwaqo”
Lomfula wawuthumela isigijimi esicacile. ‘Lomgwaqo ohambayo’ omangalisayo wawusudinga ukulungiswa. Ngakho ngo-1988 uhulumeni waseCanada wasabela ngokumisa iSt. Lawrence Action Plan eyayihlelelwe ukuhlanza lomfula ngesimiso sokongiwa kwemvelo, ukuvikelwa, nokubuyiselwa kwawo esimweni sawo, ikakhulukazi ukusuka eMontreal kuya e-Atlantic Ocean.
Manje sekunentuthuko eqhubekayo yamasu okusindisa izilwane ezisengozini. Izindawo zokongiwa kwemvelo ziyamiswa ukuze zivikele lokho okusasele. IMarine Park yaseSaguenay ehlelelwe ukulungisa isimo, elapho kuhlangana khona uMfula iSaguenay neSt. Lawrence, yasungulelwa ukonga indawo ezungezile yezinto eziphila emanzini nezilwane zasendle ezingavamile.
Kwamiswa imithetho emisha. Izimboni zamiselwa izinsuku ezingunqamulajuqu ukuba zinciphise izinto ezingcolisa umfula ngamaphesenti angu-90. Kuthuthukiswa ubuchwepheshe obusha ukuze kuncishiswe ukungcola. Izindawo ezazingcoliswe ubuthi obusenzikeni yomfula ziyahlanzwa. Kwezinye izindawo ezigudla ugu lomfula kuzomiswa izindawo ezintsha zezilwane zasendle kusetshenziswa inzika ehlanziwe. Kwenziwa imizamo yokulawula inani nokuhamba kwezinkulungwane zezivakashi ezifika minyaka yonke zizobuka lomfula.
Lomonakalo ungalungiseka. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokungafani nemigwaqo eyenziwe abantu, lomfula uzozilungisa ngokwawo uma abantu beyeka ukuwungcolisa. Isidingo esikhulu kakhulu esokuguqula isimo sengqondo salabo abazuzayo ngomnotho otholakala kulomfula naseGreat Lakes, kokubili abanikazi bezimboni kanye nabantu abavamile.
Okunye okubonisa impumelelo ekuncipheni komonakalo umkhomo i-beluga. Nakuba esesesimweni esibucayi, ama-beluga aseyabuya futhi ngemva kokwehla ngenani esuka kwangu-5 000 kuya kwacishe abengu-500 kuphela.
Umphakathi usuwuqaphela kabusha umonakalo oye wenziwa ebuhleni obungokwemvelo balomfula nodumo lwawo lwesikhathi esidlule. Ingabe lokhu kwazisa kuzoba namandla ngokwanele ukuze kusekele imizamo yokuwubuyisela esimweni sawo esikhathini esizayo? Kungenzeka, lapho izidalwa ezingabantu zihlonipha futhi zazisa indalo kaNkulunkulu.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]
Courtesy of The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority