Cabinet approves $1M help for fishermen

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made the announcement in response to questions from reporters at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Port-of-Spain.

Supporting statements made earlier in the briefing by Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat on the matter, Rowley said, “Today, the Cabinet instructed the Minister of Finance to allocate and find $1 million to allow, without prejudice, assistance to those persons who have lost their livelihood as a result of what is happening in that particular area.” He added, “It is not compensation, it is assistance.” Explaining that liability must be addressed before issues of compensation can be discussed, Rowley said Cabinet has instructed State oil company Petrotrin to “identify any and all responsibilities which it may have with respect to oil leak, oil spill in the area.” He said should it be determined that Petrotrin’s activities would have caused any outcome, “there are legal liabilities which Petrotrin must discharge and that is where the compensation comes in.” The Prime Minister recalled that it was first believed the dead fish were dumped but later tests on other dead fish in the area have been inconclusive.

Rowley said while he has not seen the documentation himself, he was told “there appears to be some connection between some of those dead fish and hydrocarbon operations at Petrotrin.” Recalling there were concerns about fish in south-west Trinidad being affected by a substance used to deal with an oil spill during the reign of the former People’s Partnership government, Rowley said, “Petrotrin is the only agency that would be called to account if there is in fact oil leak or pollution of hydrocarbons in the Gulf that way.” The Prime Minister said Cabinet decided to provide assistance to the affected fishermen because it was clear some consumers would not be purchasing fish from this area. However, he said none of the relevant State agencies have found anything to suggest that fish caught in the Gulf of Paria was not safe to eat. “I eat fish. I am very happy eating fish,” Rowley added.

Rambharat said Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis has directed the Environmental Management Authority to send samples of the affected fish and soil to a laboratory overseas for testing. He said his ministry will be reviewing arrangements relating to fish trawler operations in TT, including the dumping of fish. As someone who was raised in a fishing village, Rambharat said this was a matter which deeply concerned him.