Trinidad and Tobago does not rule out foreign help to deal with oil spill

Tuesday, February 13th 2024 - 10:55 UTC

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“We will have to move relatively quickly to determine what we are going to do next,” Rowley said

Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago are not ruling out seeking international help to clean up the oil stain from a mysterious capsizing ship that is heavily affecting tourism and the environment along 15 kilometers of beaches there, Agencia Brasil reported.

A 100-meter-long ship presumably named Gulfstream capsized near an industrial park in the south of the island of Tobago. Dragged by currents, the vessel ran aground near the coast. According to the country's government, there are indications that the boat was abandoned to sink, as the local authorities have not received any distress calls.

The oil slick continues to grow and has reached international waters. The spill has affected the southwest coast of Tobago, including beaches that are considered tourist attractions and which were prepared to receive visitors during Carnival.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley said that the disaster was still classified at level 2 (intermediate), but the government was not ruling out upgrading the tragedy to level 3 (advanced) if the local authorities failed to control the spill. He said that the situation is still “manageable”, but admitted that the country could seek international help, especially to empty the vessel.

“We may require help because once we start talking about rescue, which is to get the ship to a situation where we can control what happens, we will have to have outside help,” the Prime Minister said.

“We will have to move relatively quickly to determine what we are going to do next, which is to get the vessel to a position where it no longer poses a threat at the national level,” he added.

The government of the Caribbean archipelago is concerned about the contamination of fish and the region's food supply.

Since last Thursday (8), residents of the region, summoned by social networks, have been cleaning up the beaches affected by the disaster. The number has risen to around a thousand volunteers after the government reinforced the call and asked for extra help.

On the social network X (formerly Twitter), the United Nations Regional Office in Trinidad and Tobago said it was ready to support the local authorities. Coordinated by the local UN office, UN agencies are mobilizing resources from regional programs to assist in the clean-up efforts.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had contacted Trinidad and Tobago authorities to examine possibilities for assistance to be offered to contain the damage caused by the spill.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)