[UPDATED] SOS: Danger ahead

AMIDST an ever-growing appeal – both locally and internationally – for something to be done to avert a potential environmental disaster, a team of inspectors will leave on Tuesday to assess the FSO Nabarima, the “sinking” oil tanker anchored in the Gulf of Paria.

Permission was granted for TT to send a team on board the vessel to determine its status after it was reported that it was sinking and posed an immediate threat to the marine environment. The team was expected to leave on Tuesday morning, Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne said on Monday.

The Nabarima, which is permanently anchored between TT and Venezuela, has on board nearly 1.3 million barrels of crude oil that could cause immense damage if it leaks out.

Browne said TT and Venezuela were in constant communication about the ship’s status via informal diplomatic messages and on Monday afternoon the visit was confirmed He said, “The objective is to emerge with a report based on data and scientific observations focused on the safety and stability of the vessel and an assessment of any potential risk of environmental damage.”

Browne said although the ship is Venezuelan and is in Venezuelan waters, the TT government has been “consistently using all available diplomatic channels” to press for the inspection on behalf of many concerned people in TT, “and as part of our commitment to do everything in our power to help safeguard the marine environment.” The next steps would be guided by the report of the inspection team, he said.

SOS CALLS

The issue has prompted various groups and individuals to voice concerns, including activist group Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), Caroni Bird Sanctuary tour operator Lester Nanan and Phillip Edward Alexander, now of the Citizens Union of TT. There is also an online petition which garnered regional and international support.

The Venezuelan media house El Nacional said the issue was raised again at a Commission on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change of the National Assembly on Sunday.

The commission’s president María Gabriela Hernández Del Castillo said correspondence was sent to all parties associated with the ship to act to prevent a disaster. He said despite US sanctions against Venezuela, the oil had to be transferred and posed a great risk for the country and the Caribbean.

“We speak of one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. Now the cheap excuse is that because of the sanctions ENI cannot remove the oil. Do not be irresponsible, and remove that threat to our natural spaces from there.” ENI-Italia, an Italian company, has a 26 per cent stake in the oil. The ship is managed by PdVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company. The US embassy said on Friday that the US-Venezuela sanctions programme was not designed to target activities addressing safety, environmental, or humanitarian concerns.

Instead, it said, “We strongly support immediate actions to bring the Nabarima up to international safety standards and avoid possible environmental harm, which could negatively impact not only the Venezuelan people but also those in nearby countries.

“PdVSA has a responsibility to take action to avoid an environmental disaster in Venezuelan waters. These activities to avert an ecological disaster are consistent with US policy to support the Venezuelan people and avoid further harm to the environment.”

PROPAGANDA

FFOS said the Nabarima issue was being used as propaganda by the Maduro government for an ease of US sanctions against Venezuela.

In a media release late on Monday afternoon, it said the FFOS and the public were being misled, given information or lack thereof about the situation. The claims came after several photos circulated online purporting to show the ship had further deteriorated. A release from the Ministry of Caricom and Foreign Affairs last Friday said the photos were fake.

On Monday morning, the FFOS sent out a media release saying the ship had been temporarily stabilised. But its later release said, “Upon further inspection of the pictures sent to us which we released earlier today and based on information obtained from independent experts who we have been in constant contact with, FFOS retract(s) the statement...which intimated that the FSO Nabarima was temporarily stabilised and that the water was pumped out.

“However, we still maintain that the FSO Nabarima is being used as leverage by the Maduro regime to ease current US sanctions.” The FFOS said its informant said a photo sent today did not show evidence that any work was being done on the vessel. As a result, “It is our respectful view that the pictures sent to us today were taken at a far earlier date. “These allegedly fake photos are misleading and point to a greater risk that the Maduro regime are determined to cover this up and deceive fearful stakeholders.”

It added that it was “critical that our government’s mission tomorrow be transparent with photo and video evidence to the population of TT.”