Need for own environmental agency – Tobago Chamber head: Spill exposes risks to island’s economy
The oil spill disaster that occurred off the Canoe Bay coast of Tobago has exposed the island’s fragility and vulnerability.
This according to head of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George.
Speaking with the Sunday Express yesterday, he called for Tobago to have its own environmental management agency.
George said: “What this exposes is Tobago’s fragility and vulnerability as a small island within the global complex, and you look at it and you recognise that there is clearly a need for Tobago to have its own environmental management agency.
“This is not to take anything away from the current (Environmental Management Authority) which manages the environmental issues for all of Trinidad and Tobago, but because of Tobago’s super dependence upon its environment as part of its economic outlook and its tourism schedule, it is clear that they need to have their own environmental management authority, and this may be an opportune time to do so,” George said.
Ten days after oil started spewing from an overturned barge called the Gulfstream off the Tobago coast, the slick has spread more than 89 miles (143 kilometres) into the Caribbean Sea and has the potential to threaten Grenada and Venezuela.
The disaster occurred while the barge was being towed by a tugboat called the Solo Creed from Panama to Guyana.
The Solo Creed has not been located. Its owners have not been identified.
The barge has blanketed the shoreline from Scarborough to Lowlands in Tobago with black oil deposits and is already impacting tourism on the sister island.
President of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association and general manager of Mt Irvine Bay Resort Alpha Lorde, said he remains positive but the “spill has definitely had an environmental and economic impact. The accommodation sector member has not reported any loss in bookings thus far, and the outlook remains positive. However, members on the tour and excursion side have reported losses. Dive and water sport practitioners are the ones seeming to be affected the most by cancellations,” Lorde told the Sunday Express yesterday.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said on Friday the vessel was still stuck on the reef at Cove and therefore continued to pose a major threat as it continued to foul the coastline and surrounding areas.
Fishing industry hurting
The spill is also affecting the island’s fishing industry.
All Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA) president Curtis Douglas believes it could take months before Tobagonians get back to a place of normalcy since the oil spill, which has contaminated the waters along Tobago’s southwestern coast since February 7.
In a telephone interview with the Sunday Express yesterday, Douglas called on the Government to assist affected fishermen in the form of grants.
“We are at a loss of $.3 million right now, or even more, so the fishing industry is greatly affected. Complaints of losses are still coming in, so we have to do more investigations. We are seeking some kind of assistance from the Central Government in the form of grants, which will help fishermen put food on their tables.
“A lot of boats and engines got damaged, so these are tough times for fishermen to navigate. This is a disaster that has caught us by surprise, and the losses are astronomical. Some fishermen are still in shocked over this disaster,” he said.
“Our biggest grounds for kingfish, barracudas, and even lobster have been impacted. We have also directed our vendors away from where they ply their trade to a different location for health reasons,” Douglas added.
Fish prices will increase, he said.
“This is our biggest season, the time when we make a lot of money. I know the price of fish will rise due to the spill, so let’s hope we can weather the storm. Everyone is being affected. This will take some time to recover. In the meantime, we are just calling for some sort of assistance,” Douglas said.
The association has handled the disaster as best it could, he believed.
“We are helping in the cleaning and mopping up, so as the fishermen, we have an eagle eye view on things, so we are paying attention to every detail and ensuring that it is done to international standards in terms of cleaning up. So we have our eyes on it. We have a group of roughly 30 fishermen, with at least 16 operational and others on standby in case we need them,” he said.
Fisherman Gregory Myers said fishermen in Tobago have to find the courage to move forward.
“We will need help, but we will get back on our feet. Sometimes I see young fishermen with their brows creased, and I know that is the look of despair. There is a need for a spirit of camaraderie and support in a time like this. We must be courageous in a time of uncertainty. This disaster is an opportunity for us to assess where we are in terms of preparedness because we weren’t ready. We need to be in a position where we are prepared to deal with disasters. Right now, the powers that be are focused on the issues that have to take precedence but fishermen have to determine how they will move forward from this tremendous loss,” he said.
Caterer on the island Nancy Thorpe-Nurse from Speyside said yesterday there is a general sense of worry on the island.
But Tobagonians remain resilient.
“We are worried and we are concerned but we are seeing the work that is being put out to get this situation under control, so we are trying to remain optimistic. Tobagonians are resilient people. This is not our first disaster and we could only hope that this will be the last of this magnitude that we will ever experience. Any disaster will have a country reeling but we are standing strong and praying that all that is being done will work towards a quick resolution,” Bain-Nurse said.
She called on the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and Central Government to unite.
“This type of disaster calls for our governments to stand with each other with one mind and in unity towards a solution. The world is looking at us, children, and those in our communities. We want to see those in authority do better,” she said.
Meanwhile, head of the Tobago Marine Safety and Security Services Ltd diver Alvin Douglas said three of the 40 dive sites around the island have been affected but he believed it was only a temporary setback for the island.
TEMA optimistic
Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart yesterday said containment efforts have been successful.
“I think we have it under control. We know exactly where the issue is. We are doing containment and also extraction of oil in certain pockets, the impact zone extends 15 kilometres from Scarborough to the southwestern tip of the island,” he said, adding that “progress is being made with the resources that are available to us”.
BY : VERDEL BISHOP
Need for own environmental agency – Tobago Chamber head : Spill exposes risks to island’s economy
