TT/Bajan fish row —

PRESIDENT of the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA) Emille Louis yesterday said the ruling by the tribunal at the Hague in the Netherlands on the maritime boundary dispute between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, has not “strongly impacted” the current situation between the countries and basically left Tobago fishermen “right back where we started.”

Louis who said he had not yet heard from the negotiating teams but was informed about the ruling via a press release sent to his home, told Newsday his initial reaction was one of disappointment that after two years of “face to face negotiations” between the countries they could not among themselves, arrive at the same decision taken by the tribunal.

“We already discussed all things the tribunal ruled on.

That question of drawing a line between both countries and making the necessary adjustments was spoken about. The ruling is basically that, ‘okay you all go back home and work out something in good faith’, and I think it’s a little embarrassing that we are right back where we started,” Louis said.

“In a way, we now have to go back and restart the negotiating and go back over the same grounds that we couldn’t agree on before with Barbados,” he added.

He told Newsday, that since the incident in which two Barbadian fishermen were arrested for illegally fishing in Tobago waters, there were several reports by Tobago fishermen that Bajan vessels were seen fishing in Tobago waters.

He said the fishermen all assumed no arrests had been made as the matter was before the tribunal.

Louis said that bearing in mind Caribbean governments were coming together to implement the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), he hoped the new negotiations between both countries will be resolved quickly and amicably, saying these were the type of issues that “we need to iron out among ourselves.” Despite Louis’ concerns, fishermen at Pigeon Point and members of the Tobago public told Newsday they were pleased with the ruling in that “it gives us some satisfaction.” Efforts to reach THA Chief Secretary Orville London for a comment proved futile.

Louis said the current flying fish season which started last November was a disaster and this was through no fault of the Barbados fishermen but rather the impact of current exploration for gas and oil in the area.

“This has done more damage than the Bajans have ever done,” Louis said.

He said seismic surveys have had the effect of shutting down the island’s entire flying fish industry for the past three months and resulting in the unemployment of persons within the industry.