Environmental nightmare

Environmentalist and Head of the Fisherman and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), Gary Aboud described yesterday’s oil spill off the coast of Chaguaramas an “environmental nightmare” as authorities continued clean-up efforts along the coastline late yesterday afternoon into the evening.

According to Aboud, the spill was first sighted by a fisherman in the vicinity of the Chaguaramas boardwalk at around 9 pm on Saturday night and was later notified of the spill at around 1 am on Sunday morning. He said that the spill roughly covers an area the size of St James and poses a serious threat to both marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

“The tide has changed but some of the residual oil remains in the bay. Fish can’t live in that, this is a national park a Chaguaramas national park.

“Every week the big ships discard their waste oil from their bilges and this is what we get,” Aboud lamented as he showed his right hand coated in oil. He feared that such widespread spillage could severely affect local fishing grounds placing consumers at risk of illness. He said that the spill should serve as a wake up call to those in authority to implement proper legislation and policies as well as stiffer penalties for companies that disregard environmental safety and best practice.

“Where is the Environmental Management Authority? Where is the Institute of Marine Affairs? Why is no law enforced? Why is nobody facing a charge of $10 M in damages for damage to a national ecosystem? We need laws that prosecute and are enforced to send a message to CEOs.”

Newsday visited the scene of the spill yesterday to view first-hand the extent of the leakage. At several points near the coastline the surface of the water was covered in a thick layer of oil. Speaking with Newsday, fisherman Patrick Williams said that the spill could have devastating consequences on local livelihoods.

“It’s the worst we’ve seen in a while. Earlier this morning some guys came in from fishing and their nets and everything inside of it was black with oil. They can’t sell that kind of fish to people.”

According to a release issued by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) yesterday, several agencies including the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI), have been dispatched to the scene to treat with the situation.

Newsday spoke to Chairman of the EMA Nadra Nathai-Gyan who said that while the Authority itself was not part of the clean-up aspect of the operations, it was working closely with authorities in monitoring the situation and assessing the extent of the impact.

Oilspills can have adverse effects on both marine and terrestrial organisms as they reduce the surface tension of the water preventing oxygen from dissolving resulting in fish kills. Also the oil may coat and smother organisms such as fish, sea turtles and sea birds which frequent the Chaguaramas bay.