Tobago fisherfolk to take protests to Chief Sec's doorstep

FISHERFOLK are threatening to take their protests to the Chief Secretary’s doorstep at his official residence on Calder Hall Road, Scarborough, if their pleas for compensation for the February 7, 2024 oil spill are ignored.

The oil spill stained approximately 15 km of Tobago's south-western coastline after the Gulfstream barge overturned in waters off Cove. Over 400,000 gallons of oil spilled into the ocean, affecting the livelihoods of fisherfolk.

At a media conference at Turtle Beach on February 17, All Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA) president Curtis Douglas said Augustine must stop "acting mean" to fishermen.

He said, "There are points in time where you have to put aside politics.

"You are dealing with people's lives. What people vote for you for? What you tell people they independent for?"

Douglas urged Augustine to contact him to resolve the matter.

"You are the one managing Tobago's affairs...Do not be dictator, and keep to your word.

"Why are you being a beast? Why are you being so mean with the people of Tobago? No one hates you here."

He told Newsday the fisherfolk would be taking their protests to Augustine's "bedroom, he workplace, wherever."

Lambeau fisherman Jason Rampersad vented his frustration at the media conference, saying he wanted an update on compensation.

Alluding to the one-time grant given to about 100 fisherfolk in 2024, Rampersad said, "Can $1,000 mind a man for 12 months?

"I loss my two engines, I can't even put my boat on the water after 12 months.

"I speaking for everyone affected in Lambeau and in town (Scarborough). We patience are very, very thin, and he (Augustine) needs to give us an answer by Friday about what's going on."

In an interview on Tobago Updates on February 12, Secretary of Finance Petal-Ann Roberts said the THA worked alongside officials from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC). She said only twenty-something of the 167 claims made by fisherfolk were approved, amounting to $4.2 million in compensation – a far cry from the $47 million requested.

She said the THA has decided to allow the IOPC to process the claims and make the payment.

In the interim, Augustine announced last month that the THA will be giving $2 million in relief to affected fisherfolk. Roberts said a process to determine the disbursement of that $2 million is being formalised.

However, fishermen are disgruntled.

Rampersad said, "We going home by he, because he is we leader. We looking up to he to help sort we out, and is just a disappointment."

He said Tobagonians had believed in Augustine and voted him into office in the THA elections.

"This country has been going through disappointment, one after the next for 60-something years.

"When Farley come into power, the whole of Tobago look up to Farley. He say he will do good things – great things. When he talk in the lead-up for him to get into power, he was talking great things for Tobago.

"Almost four years, what Farley actually do for Tobago? The tourism in this country is zero – nil. It ain’t even have tourism here. Thank God the boat does come from Trinidad and bring people.

"Men on the west, guesthouses, surviving. We get rid of one (administration) and we jump from the pot straight into the fire."

ATFA PRO Kemba Lawrence said his engine was damaged during the oil spill and he submitted his claim form to the Tobago Emergency Management Agency, but an official allegedly told him it would be denied because he never fished in those waters.

"I fishing this waters back and forth 20-odd years," Lawrence said. "That is my livelihood.

"My boat park up for a year, can't do anything. They playing cat and mouse with people."

Meanwhile, ATFA called on Roberts to say when it will be paid the balance for its services in response to the spill.

ATFA has been paid approximately $3 million so far, but Douglas told Newsday approximately $4 million is still outstanding.

He said when THA officials were "wining down in town" for Carnival, "We were in the water, in the oil, keeping Tobago clean and serene."

He said a number of big Trinidad contractors were paid in full, but Tobagonians were being made to wait.

Douglas said no one is fighting for Tobago fishermen. He said in Tobago waters roughly five miles offshore from Plymouth, there had been Venezuelan boats for the past week.

"Nothing happening. No Coast Guard. They there day and night and nobody ain't saying anything. We don't know what they bring to this country. We have people in our marine space undetected – they doing it broad daylight.

"Great is the Coast Guard. Great is the Minister of National Security."

He claimed Bajan fishermen were also in local waters catching all the flying fish.

"For this year, the fisherfolk haven't put one basket of flying fish. Because we have Bajan boats taking all our flying fish.

"Nobody ain't doing anything or saying anything about that. Nobody cares about the well-being of the fisherfolk."