Farley: $5m owed for oil-spill clean-up

DESPITE receiving some payments, the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA) and other service providers are yet to be fully compensated for their roles in the oil-spill clean-up after the environmental disaster in February.

Although the ATFA’s members’ livelihoods were temporarily affected by the spill, some worked with the THA and other agencies around the clock to assist in containing and cleaning up the February 7 spill off Cove, which affected roughly 15km of coastal waters.

“To date, two invoices have been paid to ATFA,” Farley Augustine, chief secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), said at a media conference on December 19.

The ATFA had received two cheques: one for $641,200 and the second for $490,000 – totalling $1.1 million – both issued in May. Augustine said a $2 million payment is being processed.

“Within a short period, you will get those monies,” he said. It leaves an unpaid balance of about $3 million to be disbursed in 2025. Altogether $5 million remain outstanding.

Augustine acknowledged that ATFA and others are still owed significant amounts. He explained that the funds allocated to the THA for the oil-spill clean-up were far below the requested amount, with only $50 million approved from an initial $153 million request.

He said the $153 million included funds requested by fishermen to sustain their families while the spill was being managed.

“Those claims came in long after we made the submission to the Ministry of Finance, but we forecast it and we did put in a claim. No monies were sent for that.”

He said the THA also budgeted for studies to assess the impact on the coastline to see if any critically endangered species were threatened.

“We haven’t contracted that out, because no monies were sent to do that.”

This shortfall has contributed to the delay in settling outstanding claims, including those from ATFA.

He explained that the THA has a contracted service with ATFA and with Tobago Marine Safety and Security Services.

“Those two agencies decided whether they needed to subcontract or to utilise other vessels, as they can legally do, to provide work, because they probably did not own sufficient vessels to do the work all by themselves.”

He said the ATFA eventually negotiated its services for less than typical international rates.

“So, I can understand why ATFA might be upset, but I think some of your anger is misplaced, and I want you to have an appreciation for where your anger should be correctly placed, because I told you, we budgeted and forecast to be able to pay you all your monies when you were done with this. We just were not given the monies.

“And then some of your own Tobagonians, who supposed to be patriots, run down to the Parliament and say that’s enough for them.”

Augustine further clarified that the fishermen, although directly affected by the spill, had to submit their compensation claims directly to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC). Augustine said this was a key detail he was unaware of until months after the spill.

He recalled fishermen were given $1,000 to assist with their personal needs and their families.

He said the THA has been working to address the situation and has made efforts to support affected fishermen individually. Augustine stressed that no funds would be distributed through associations like ATFA.

“We ain’t treating with no association. We want to treat with the fisherfolk directly, as citizens of Tobago who were impacted,” Augustine said.

He reiterated that he would not refer to funding as “compensation,” because the THA was not responsible for the spill.

The clean-up is still ongoing, with efforts to manage the remaining oily residue at Studley Park, which is stored in specially designed cells. Augustine said the containment cells remain secure and pose no risk to the environment.

He also rubbished suggestions that Tobago businesses were not used in the clean-up.

“Of course, we know that Tobago companies did not have a special kind of expertise to treat with oil spill clean-ups, but we have utilised a number of Tobago companies, who have been paid or are being paid.”

Augustine said although some companies have not been paid in full, the THA ensured that all involved got part-payment as quickly as possible. They include a number of local supermarkets, caterers, hardware stores, equipment rental companies, general services providers, and hotels.

The ATFA, led by Curtis Douglas, responded to Augustine almost immediately after the press conference, claiming he “targeted” the association, and suggested he was selective in his transparency.

“This entire press conference was targeted by the THA, by the chief secretary, (at) ATFA…

“When you’re talking about oil spill and we’re talking about transparency, if you’re going to be transparent, that means you have to be clear and announce how much everyone is being paid.”

Douglas called on Augustine to announce the parties that were fully compensated and how much they were paid.

“Why (is ATFA) the only organisation (targeted) in this?” he asked, adding that the association was the first responder to the emergency.

Douglas said he plans to host a press conference on December 23 to ventilate and address more issues.