Heritage: No more visible oil offshore in Cedros

WORKING to clean up an oil spill on the Cedros coastline over the last three days, Heritage Petroleum Ltd said on October 18 there were no visible remaining hydrocarbons offshore.

In a statement, the company said drone and vessel surveillance of the area was ongoing to verify the cleanup was complete. Despite this, it said its incident management teams and oil-spill response contractors remained onsite to manage the restoration of the impacted coastal areas.

It said officials have engaged fisherfolk and continue to work with them until they receive the all-clear to resume work at sea.

Additionally, the company said it continues to update the regulatory bodies including the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, the Environmental Management Authority, the Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and other marine stakeholders.

The company did not state if the source of the spill was found.

The spill was discovered on October 16 and reported to the company. At least 40 boats were affected according to Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh.

He told Newsday on October 18, however, he was concerned over the use of heavy machinery in the cleanup which could be damaging turtle nesting sites. He said the contractors used backhoes and trucks to remove oil-soaked sand, especially in the Columbus Bay area where turtles are known to nest.

"I raised that issue with the HSE person on hand and he was saying that they have no control over...the equipment."

He suggested smaller skid steers or even manual labour should be used to pick up material and place it into lighter trucks like pickups which could then take it off the sand into a larger truck to be properly disposed of.

While the leatherback turtle is the most popular attraction in Trinidad and nests between March and August, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea head Gary Aboud said there are four others which can be found year-round.

"We are most familiar with the leatherback. There are other species that are equally important and are internationally recognised as endangered."

According to an article published by environmental biologist Dr Michelle Cazabon-Mannette on Cari-bois environmental news network in May 2021, the other turtle species which can be found on local shores, in varying prominence, are the Hawksbill turtle (critically endangered), Green turtle (endangered) and Olive Ridley turtles (vulnerable). It said while the Loggerhead turtle can be found in local waters, it did not say if it nests here.

Aboud said while there may not be any visible oil on shore, the effects on the environment and ecosystems lay within the ocean's surface and may not be fully realised until years to come. He called for more accountability for those responsible for spills and harsher penalties.