THA secretary: Draw marine line before Tobago's energy resources deplete

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Secretary of Infrastructure Trevor James is calling for immediate negotiations between the Tobago House of Assembly and central government to determine the maritime boundary between Trinidad and Tobago.

He was speaking from a boat in a Facebook live on February 6 where he went out to sea showing areas where he believed Tobago should have authority.

He said there were many energy companies doing business in Tobago waters, and he believed tax revenues should go directly to Tobago and not central government. He said the Iris Block, the Poinsettia field and Orchid field all operated in the Tobago space.

"We need to control our space. We absolutely need to control this thing called our marine space," he said, adding that the time to fight for Tobago's resources was now, as in 30 years they might be depleted.

Minutes before the autonomy bill was debated in Parliament on December 9, 2024, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine had sent, via WhatsApp, recommendations to the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader for amendments, including advocating for the establishment of a Tobago Fund.

Augustine said, "Any company, financial institution or a person operating a business in Tobago shall pay in Tobago all taxes, fees, duties, levies and other imposts in respect of its operations in Tobago."

The bill failed to acquire the three-fourths majority required for passage. Twenty-one government members voted for the bill and 16 opposition members voted against.

It required at least 31 of the 41 members to vote in favour.

James said, "We are on a mission to tell Tobagonians that now is the time to draw the line," he said.

"Sit down with us as you sat down with Barbados, Grenada and with Venezuela to come up the median line. Afford Tobago with the respect that we deserve.

"Sit with us as equals and say, 'Listen, let's negotiate where this line should be,' and stop depending on your superior numbers in Trinidad and taking away our human rights.

"The right to self determination is the right – according to the United Nations – that supersedes all other human rights."

James said in preparation for his boat trip he did his research and found a map that was allegedly drawn by the US Central Intelligence Agency in 1969 which "showed what they considered at the time the median line between the islands. Meaning that in 1969, the world realised and accepted that Tobago and Trinidad can in fact be delineated."

The map referenced by James showed the major roads in the country and towns. The map key described the line between the islands as an "internal administrative boundary."

Asked by Newsday why a map by the CIA was referenced when the US never had legal authority over TT, James said, "The CIA produces country reports on every county, as you know, and those country reports are assisted by the leadership of the country."

In his live, he said the PNM had always wanted to subjugate Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean.

He said since the collapse of the West Indies Federation in May 1962, "from that time till now, the PNM has used every means necessary to ensure that the relationship with Tobago and Trinidad is so complex and....difficult...almost impossible for Tobago to get its true value."

He said some energy companies were making US$2 million in profits per day "while you in Tobago can't buy food, can't send children to school, THA can't provide the social services..."

He said no Tobagonian should want to give up its right to another island.

"Let us be truly equal," he said.

"They gonna come to you again in this silly season to tell you, effectively, 'Eat your biscuit and shut your mouth, because you see allyuh, we ain’t letting allyuh go for nothing. Allyuh belong to we, and all that is in (Tobago) waters, all that is on (Tobago) land, belong to us in Trinidad.'"

He said voters from Trinidad felt they were better than their Tobago counterparts.

"The truth of the matter is Tobago existed before the union in 1889. Tobago existed as a free state."

He said the only way for Tobago to get its just value was when "Trinidad's 39 seats and Tobago's two seats are equal. We must be able to find a way to have an equal-share agreement with Trinidad, and we can only start that real conversation if we put serious Tobago People's Party (TPP) people in the Parliament next election."

James, the electoral representative for Scarborough/Mt Grace, was screened by the TPP on February 6 for the Tobago West seat, currently occupied by the PNM's Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis.

The latter was selected by the PNM to fight for the seat in the general election, constitutionally due this year.