Hinds: Coast Guard vessels back in service

NATIONAL Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says the Coast Guard's strength is being bolstered by the return to service of vessels which were previously undergoing maintenance and repairs.

He also said government is taking action to strengthen efforts to deal with human trafficking.

Hinds made these comments in response to questions in the Senate on January 21.

He told senators the Coast Guard's two Cape Class patrol vessels "have re-entered service and are currently rostered for patrols around Trinidad and Tobago."

These vessels, built by Australian shipbuilder Austal, were delivered to the Coast Guard in 2021

Hinds said vessels from Dutch shipbuilder Damen, acquired under the former UNC-led People;s Partnership government, are being sent "for dry docking, re-certification, repairs and maintenance and will all return to active service shortly."

He added, "Two have actually returned from Suriname and one is in its docking phase right there as we speak."

A smaller Coast Guard vessel is used for inshore patrols off Tobago and similar vessels do similar operations off Trinidad.

Hinds said the Coast Guard and the police collaborate closely.

This, he continued, is reflected by co-ordinated patrols on land by the police and the operations of the police's riverine unit.

Hinds said the Cape Class vessels were serviced in the Dominican Republic and a maintenance and service contract was agreed to when they were procured.

He declined to give details about where the vessels would be operating or the number of Coast Guard personnel on board, citing grounds of national security.

Later in the sitting, Hinds said government is working to implement recommendations outlined in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons report.

He added those efforts included training of officers in evidence-gathering techniques to ensure that court matters proceed expeditiously and the development of a labour inspectorate to investigate instances of labour exploitation where human-trafficking victims are alleged to be involved and dismantling of trafficking networks.

Hinds said a victim-referral map will soon be launched on a digital platform and the counter-trafficking unit has increased its number of interpreters to improve assistance to victims and improve the unit's investigative services.