Seabridge woes hurting livestock trade

He said he has grown weary of the current issues faced with the ferry and cargo vessels and the unreliable services at the ANR Robinson International Airport. “We coming to Tobago, buying animals and have to keep them two days in a can because we can’t get on the boat and by the time we reach Trinidad, the animals are sick.

“They have been saying we’re going to get a better boat, for years.

Since we had the MV Panorama, they say all kinds of things wrong with it but now they bring something ten times worse. They’ve brought the Panorama’s poor, sickly great-grandmother. It can’t take passengers, it can’t take much vehicles, it can’t take much of anything,” Campbell said.

He said Tobago is eating contaminated food because of this crisis with transporting livestock to and from the islands. “I see a man remain with three containers of chicken in Trinidad and he had that chicken the day before in that can; so by the time that reaches Tobago and the chicken soaking in sea water and he distributes that...

is this what we want the people of Tobago and tourists to eat? (Prime Minister Dr Keith) Rowley needs to remember he is a Tobagonian and see that Tobago is in a crisis.” After purchasing over 15 goats in Tobago, Campbell was prevented by Scarborough port officials from boarding the Atlantic Provider last Wednesday. He said he purchased a ticket to board the vessel but when he returned, there was a vehicle parked in the last spot available.

“If we Trinidadians stop coming to Tobago to purchase animals, what would they do? “Because the market is not in Tobago, it’s in Trinidad. And if the food stuff continues to come like this what will they do? They will end up like Venezuela killing each other and fighting for food,” he warned. Campbell was forced to pay for a night’s accommodation in a nearby guest house, leaving his sheep tightly packed in his 4x4 pick-up truck.

He says this could cost him thousands as the animals could become sick if they are left in such a position for too long. “When I was coming from Trinidad they made it clear all livestock and food stock have first priority on the boat. When I come to the port in Tobago now they giving you a run-around. The animals suffering like that three days in a van...it’s not right. It’s not humane,” he said.