FFOS calls for second inspection of FSO Nabarima

Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) corporate secretary Gary Aboud is calling on government to hasten its action on the second inspection of the FSO Nabarima. The inspection was supposed to take place on November 20, a month after the first visit on October 20.

Aboud said a team of experts was sent by the government to visit and confirm the safety of the oil tanker which was listing at a 26 degree angle, which FFOS considered to be a danger to the Caribbean Sea and the gulf of Paria.

“That team of experts claimed that everything was safe but that another visit would be made a month hence. Five days have passed, on November 20 we expected our government to have confirmed that a visit would have been made, but all they have said yesterday is that they are awaiting approval. We urge our government to fulfil its promise to confirm the safety of the vessel so that the public fear can be appeased and the world can sleep at peace.”

In a release, FFOS reminded energy minister Franklin Khan and foreign and Caricom affairs minister Amery Browne of their public promise of an inspection of the vessel a month later.

“Having publicly stated that the FSO Nabarima is stabilised, the Maduro regime should have no difficulty in allowing our team to verify the vessel’s updated status. Their failure to do same only suggests that they are keeping secrets from both the Trinidadian and Venezuelan public and risking an environmental catastrophe.”

FFOS urged government to act transparently to ensure that the public and TT’s natural environment are not threatened.

It said TT must urgently exhaust all avenues in arranging this second safety verification mission.