Bajan fishermen freed

IN what was described to Newsday as “a piece of diplomacy... diplomacy at work,” the captains of two Barbados fishing vessels which were allegedly held fishing illegally in TT’s territorial waters on Saturday, were yesterday freed after the police declined to offer any evidence when the matter came up for hearing in the Scarborough Magistrates’ Court. Joseph Mason and Samuel Firebrace, represented by defence attorney Neville Gibbes, appeared before Magistrate Joan Gill in the Second Court on charges of illegally fishing in waters off Tobago. They were charged by Detective PC Dean Cipriani of the Scarborough CID.

As defence attorney Gibbes rose to begin making submissions in the matter, prosecutor Cpl John Morrison indicated to the Magistrate that the police would not be offering any evidence in the matter. Gibbes had not yet made a submission, when the prosecution indicated its position to the court. The Magistrate, in turn, told the two Barbadians: “The police are not proceeding with this matter; you are all free to go.” The two Barbados-registered fishing vessels were reportedly intercepted by the TT Coast Guard patrol vessel TTS Crown Point in waters off Crown Point on Friday.

It was alleged that the vessels were “engaged in fishing within Trinidad and Tobago’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) without a licence. issued by the Minister to whom responsibility for fishing is assigned”, according to the charges laid in court. The vessels were escorted to the Coast Guard base in Tobago and handed over to police authorities. Charges were subsequently laid against Joseph Mason of Bayfield, St Phillip, Barbados, identified as the captain of “El Retes”- registration number P28 and Samuel Firebrace of Blaze Hill, St Phillip, Barbados, who was similarly identified as the captain of “De Boys”- registration number P16.