The Trinidad and Tobago government Monday said it had secured international compensation for the ongoing oil spill cleanup in Tobago, with early estimates putting the damage as much as US$20 million.
“The information we have retained from Central Government and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, we can be looking at anywhere from 14 to 20 million US dollars and that’s our best estimates at this stage and of course in Tobago, they too via the THA [Tobago House of Assembly] would be incurring certain costs that ultimately will come to Central Government and we will do an exercise along with the Ministry of Finance…to see what those costs that have been out forward…are reasonable for us to deal with, ”
Energy and Energy Industries Minister, Stuart Young, speaking at a news conference said that the monetary size of the payment is yet to be ascertain, but that reparation was made possible following contributions Port of Spain had been making to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) for a number of years.
The hydrocarbon spill, which was first spotted off the coast of Tobago’s Atlantic Coast on February 7 this year, has damaged some of the island’s mangroves and threatened its tourism and fishing sector.
The oil spill also entered the Caribbean Sea, threatening Venezuela and other neighbouring countries including the Dutch island of Bonaire.
“We know at this stage…that the ship that was being used as a barge to transport this fuel was being pulled along at certain times by a tug. We’ve heard the name ‘Gulf Stream’, which is the last name that was seen on this vessel that was overturned in Tobago. We’ve also seen documentation that suggests that the tug that was carrying it along during parts of this journey is called the ‘Solo Creed’. We’ve also been provided with documentation that suggests changes of names,” Young told reporters, adding that the decision to seek compensation was made on April 29.
“I am pleased to advise that the decisions coming out of the submissions we made, the fund’s executive committee decision is as follows, the 1992 Fund executive committee decided that civil liability and fund conventions would apply to this incident and they immediately authorised the director to make payments of compensation in respect of claims arising from this incident.
“We have given an assurance to the fund that we will continue to work with them to try and locate the owner of these vessels and those who are responsible for it [oil spill] and that if we are able to pursue any claims then subrogate those claims to IOPCF for all reasonable claims made will be compensated by this fund.”
Young told reporters that the vessel was on its way to Guyana when the incident occurred and that the Trinidad and Tobago government remains committed to finding the owners.
He said at this stage, it looks as though the vessel had picked up products in Venezuela and that “from the document I have seen …the vessels were on their way to Guyana.
“We have from the authorities in Guyana request…for pilots to come and assist them into Guyana during the period when it actually turned up on the shores in Tobago. We are pursuing all the leads that we have, we have been receiving now as well, assistance from the United States and the Canadian government got involved in assisting.”
The government, through the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, has requested official assistance from countries – including Tanzania, Nigeria, Panama, Aruba and Curacao – in tracing the owners of the vessels.
