The annual re-enactment of this battle, which took place last Friday contained its usual elements of stickfighting, flambeaux, African drumming, tamboo bamboo, a parade of traditional Carnival characters and the story of the riots of 1881. Piccadilly Street, Portof- Spain, burned alive with history.
Here are some memories of what this year’s re-enactment of the Canboulay riots looked like.
One of the biggest environmental stories of the year began when dead fish washed ashore along the coast at La Brea in February.
This followed similar events in the same area in previous years and concerns were soon raised that industrial pollution was to blame.
In July, the issue re-emerged when thousands of fish began washing ashore yet again, focused this time in the vicinity of the Mosquito Creek. In response, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) indicated then that the fish were dumped by fishermen and that the fish, primarily herring, catfish and mullet, bore markings which suggested that the fish had been trapped in nets. However, the group Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) voiced their concerns that exposure to toxic chemicals, namely Corexit from the 2013 oil spill, could be to blame and that a much wider variety of wildlife had been affected, including several other fish species and birds, which implied that dumped by-catch was not to blame.
In the weeks that followed, the sale of fish caught in the Gulf of Paria plummeted, prompting some fishermen to try and soothe the public’s fears by admitting to the practice of by-catch dumping.
Eventually, the government made an attempt to intervene by sending samples of fish caught in different areas of Trinidad to the US Food and Drug Administration for testing. While the results of these tests have not been made available, the FFOS have indicated that they commissioned their own tests, performed by the University of Trinidad and Tobago, which showed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in several different species of fish in La Brea, at up to 26,000 ppm (with the safe exposure for humans being 0 ppm). To date, the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved.
The FFOS would again make their mark in 2016 when they were granted leave to challenge the 2015 appeal court judgement on the standardised water pollution fee for small and large polluters.
FFOS has contended that polluters should bear the cost of cleaning up their pollution and it was unreasonable for small entities to pay the same fee as larger companies.
Several land use issues also arose during the year. In April, a notice of violation was served by the EMA for the clearing and burning of 19 hectares of land at Las Cuevas by the landowner with both parties reportedly eventually agreeing to follow strict guidelines on how the development should proceed. Not following guidelines, however, was at the heart of 2016’s most contentious land use issue when the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) issued a request for proposals in August for the construction of a full service hotel at the old missile tracking station in Chaguaramas, in contravention of the 1982 National Physical Development Plan. In an attempt to appease the opponents of the idea, the former chairman of the CDA indicated that the hotel would be an “ecolodge”. Interestingly, following his subsequent resignation, the former chairman noted that “an expression of interest for the development of a project which clearly contravenes the existing permitted land use was published recently, after adamant insistence by the line ministry, despite concerns raised by the board.” (Express 28.08.16).
Another major land use concern relates to the proposal to allow Sandals Resorts to construct an all-inclusive resort at the Golden Grove Estate in Tobago. The estate fringes the Bon Accord Lagoon and is near to the very sensitive Buccoo Reef.
The proposal to build a major roadway from Valencia to Toco gained ground in 2016, driven by the associated plan to construct an inter-island ferry terminal at Toco. The project is still at the design stage but early concerns over the destruction of natural environment along the road route and disturbance of sea-turtles by the ferry service have been raised thus far.
Disturbance of marine life may have also played a part in several of the cetacean strandings reported in 2016. An unknown cetacean came ashore at Maracas Bay in July and during October, a bottlenose dolphin became stuck in the shallow waters at Orange Valley. In November, a melon headed whale was found dead at Damien Bay while in December, a false killer whale became stranded at Grange Bay, Tobago.
According to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, several recent stranded whales have been found to harbour parasitic trematodes (Nasitrema spp.) which might be a contributing factor in some deaths, along with issues such as offshore seismic testing.
Following the October 2015 Public Consultation on Hunting, the Minister of Agriculture requested the formation of a Hunting Steering Committee to address some of the concerns raised at the consultation.
In September 2016, the first batch of reforms were passed into law. The new laws include greater legal protection for a wider range of birds, including prohibiting the hunting of most of our waterfowl species and as well prohibiting the trapping of wild seedeaters and seed-finches (birds belonging to the family Sporophila and Oryzoborus). The sale of these seedeaters and seed-finches will also now be banned in the closed season. In addition to these changes, the list of “pest” species was also updated with notable changes being the protection of all but two species of bat. Inexplicably, the permits issued for the 2016/17 hunting season did not reflect the applicable sections of the new laws and we would hope that this situation is remedied by the open of the 2017/18 season.
Laws, unfortunately, only offer their protection on paper.
As in previous years, trophy images of protected wildlife, both dead or trapped alive, began circulating on social media soon after the opening of the 2016/17 hunting season.
Photos of poached anteaters/southern tamanduas, crab-eating raccoons, red howler monkeys, pinnate bitterns and even great egrets all generated outrage and calls for prosecution by the authorities. Even the Minister of Agriculture weighed in on the matter, stating that “it is the job of the Forestry Division to get to the facts behind the photos” (Newsday 20.11.16).
Yet there were fewer wildlife related prosecutions reported publicly in 2017 as compared to previous years.
In April, a resident of Mappipire Road, Williamsville, pleaded guilty to the possession of four macaws and one yellow headed parrot and was fined $750 ($150 for each charge). Meanwhile during May, officers of the Blanchisseuse Police Station and the Coastal Patrol conducting routine vehicle searches in Blanchisseuse, discovered a leatherback turtle hatchling in a car. A man and woman were detained in connection with the find.
Nonetheless, the Minister of Agriculture noted in November that the Forestry Division reported that between August-October 2016 they had dealt with over 230 offences, a 50 percent increase over the same period in previous years (ostensibly related to both forestry and wildlife offences).
To bolster the detection and prosecution of wildlife offences, the minister also announced the recruitment of 139 honorary game wardens for the season.
It was also a special year for the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club in which we celebrated the club’s 125th anniversary.
The event was marked by several activities including public events such as our special anniversary display at the National Museum and a biodiversity art competition for the nation’s schools.
With 2017 well underway, we hope that the new year brings with it many positive developments for our islands’ natural environment and resources.
Let us ensure that as much of it as possible remains for years to come.
For more info on our natural environment, you can contact the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club at admin@ttfnc.
org or visit the website at www.ttfnc.org and our Facebook or You- Tube pages.
TT finished seventh in the recently concluded CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships in Bahamas, a drop of two places from the last Championships in 2015.
Only the finalists were awarded spots in the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup to be also held in Bahamas.
Coker said that a number of steps can be taken to improve beach soccer in TT. The Switzerland-based goalie believes an international size pitch with quality sand to train is essential. Turtle Beach in Tobago is one of the venues that the TT team use for training but the access is limited due to the nesting season.
But foremost, he believes setting up a league locally will derive multiple benefits and help develop a beach sport culture on the island and consequently improve the national setup.
“Another thing that we can do is a league. Panama actually won the CONCACAF Beach Soccer qualifiers, which was an underdog team. They impressed and shocked the world. Panama has a league, it may not be one of the top leagues, however there is a league and they get players playing constantly. In Trinidad and Tobago we don’t have that, we don’t have the full team playing at a certain point in time.
We have some players playing in Europe which is probably four or five,” Coker said.
He explained that competing four or five months during a year is not enough for TT to be successful at the highest level.
“Definitely (a local league will increase the pool of players).
When you have a league it is so much better for us, because where we are situated in the world, the weather here is perfect all year around for beach football. Even in Europe, where they have their leagues running in the summer, in winter these players don’t really have anything to do (and they can come here).” Coker added that having top international beach players compete here will increase the standard of a local league.
Concerning the CONCACAF qualifiers, Coker said the team had solid preparations before the tournament, but said there were some mental lapses that cost the team.
“Everything was put in place for us preparation wise. It was amazing.
The team did not perform as well as we thought we should have.
There were a lot of stuff that happened both on and off the field of play that the players did not keep a mental edge on, like the officiating and some other little problems that we had, that we should have been a little more mentally prepared for.
“We had a couple injuries and a couple players had the flu. I am not making any excuses, but at the same time it is what it is. Where the performance is concerned, we had a very good showing. We were a lot better than we were in the last qualifiers in terms of the team’s performance.”
In the past, the club has honoured former sporting and cultural icons for their contributions to the country.
Among those previously honoured were Alvin Corneal, Sedley Joseph, Everald “Gally” Cummings, Selris Figaro, Kelvin “KB” Berassa, Gerry Browne, Lincoln “Tiger” Phillips, Leroy De Leon, Ellis and Vernon Sadaphal, Leon “Smooth” Edwards, Ron La Forest, Ulric “Buggy” Haynes and Kent Bernard, a hometown hero from Petit Bourg.
This year, the club will also be paying tribute to former West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago cricketer, Harold “Harry Joe” Joseph, who was also a good footballer, and played for Moosai’s Sports in the Aranguez league. The late Jit Samaroo, a ninetime Panorama winner with BP Renegades, will also be given a posthumous award. His award will be received by his son Amrit, who is also a pan arranger. Other individuals who will be recognised are Cecil “Ju Ju” Brewster, Grantly “Garbo” Boyce, Garvin and Garthorne Craig, Harold “Falcon” Richards, Rasheed “Nagar” Ali, “Parry” Parris, Lennox “Marcus” Marcano and Neville”Romeo” Salandy.
The event is organised by Leslie Joseph, a former first division footballer with Maple, and his brother, Lloyd “Golden Boy” Joseph, a former forward with Blackpool and Colts.
The teams for Sunday’s match will be skippered by “Harry Joe” and Garvin Craig and will include some of the previously mentioned players together with Stephen “Gomo” Gomez, Douglas St Hill and his brother Winfield, “Speck” Ramoutar, Dexter “Funk” Joseph, Rory Gajadhar and many others from the San Juan and surrounding areas. Admission is free.
In all, 258 players from across the Caribbean and most of the leading cricketing nations are in the frame to secure a coveted place in the tournament, which is this year scheduled to take place between August 1 and September 9, with fixtures and dates to be announced in due course.
Commenting on this year’s list of applicants both in the West Indies and across the world, Director of International Cricket for CPL, Tom Moody said: “T20 is capturing the world of cricket by storm, and with the huge numbers of talented players from across the cricketing world eager to sign up to the biggest party in sport, I’ve no doubt that the 2017 season will be our best yet.
“In attracting the cream of international talent from a healthy blend of established and fast-developing nations, it extends the growing international appeal of the sport and of the Hero CPL itself, and I have no doubt that we are going to see a hugely contested Player Draft in Barbados on March 10.” There’s a strong list of West Indies talent who were both drafted and undrafted in 2016, including former Antigua Hawksbills and St.
Kitts and Nevis Patriots star all-rounder Marlon Samuels who was the man of the match for the West Indies in their ICC World T20 final victory over England last year.
There will be 28 players from Australia in the Draft, an increase of six from the 2016 campaign, including a blend of experience in Brad Haddin, Ben Hilfenhaus and Brad Hogg allied to a crop of up-andcoming talent which includes leg-spinner Adam Zampa who was a star for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2016 season. A further 17 New Zealanders, including the likes of Corey Anderson, Grant Elliott and Jimmy Neesham, are also in the mix.
England have four players and included is T20 specialist fast bowler Tymal Mills, who made his T20 international debut for England against Sri Lanka last summer. Ireland will have three representatives in the Draft.
Pakistan will have the highest representation in the Draft after increasing last year’s tally from 38 players to 46.
The men’s team resumed training yesterday for a friendly international match against Suriname on March 10, in Paramaribo, which will be followed up by a pair of 2018 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Zone Final Round qualifiers at home to Panama, on March 24, and Mexico four days later.
The Under-20 players made favourable impressions based on their performances at the current CONCACAF Under-20 Championships in Costa Rica. The national Under-20 team missed out on qualifying for the quarter-finals last weekend, drawing against Bermuda 1-1, losing to Costa Rica 0-1 and beating El Salvador 2-1 in group play. The trio includes St Ann’s Rangers forward Kathon St Hilaire, English-born goalie Montel Joseph and Ma Pau defender Taryk Sampson.
St Hilaire, a St Anthony’s College player, scored the winner in TT ’s 2-1 victory over El Salvador in their final group game. Lawrence, who was appointed as the men’s team coach in January, began training sessions with a group of 27 players on February 20. Midfielder Darren Mitchell, captain of three-time TT Pro League champions Central FC, was added to the training squad late last week.
In related news, former England central defender Sol Campbell, who was named by Lawrence as one of his three assistant coaches (alongside ex-national striker Stern John and veteran W Connection tactician Stuart Charles-Fevrier), is expected to join the technical staff in Trinidad this month, after undertaking a brief coaching stint at Queens Park Rangers.
According to a story on Sky Sports yesterday, “Campbell has been spending time coaching the club’s academy and Under-23 players but it has been on an informal basis. “The former Arsenal and Tottenham defender has been out of professional football since 2012 and spent time in politics, including a failed bid to become the Conservative Party candidate for Mayor of London,” the story continued.
“His time at QPR has been partially used to practice the training drills he could be using alongside Lawrence when he takes up the role later this month.
“Campbell (said) that he was thankful to QPR director of football Les Ferdinand and technical director Chris Ramsey for the chance to hone his coaching skills,” the story ended.
Contrary to a previous report, the tournament has not been postponed and will get underway with the best teams in the world battling for honours and cash prizes.
The event, which will be held under the auspices of the TT AFF and the World All Fours Federation, will feature teams from the United States, Canada, Great Britain and the Caribbean.
The winning team will be entitled to a jackpot valued at $100,000, plus a trophy and 15 gold medals, while the runners- up will collect $40,000, a trophy and 15 silver medals. A sum of $20,000, a trophy and 15 bronze medals will be presented to the third-placed team while the fourth-placed squad will get $10,000 and a trophy.
Prizes worth $75,000 will be on offer for teams who did not make the International Top 16 and $20,000 will go towards teams who did not reach the Top 32.
TT AFF vice-president Randolph Archie said that the Open Tournament will feature teams from the corporate sector, Government and state agencies who will be using this forthcoming weekend to relax from the Carnival festivities.
He added that there will be entertainment provided by a tassa group, a rhythm section, as well as chutney singers and dancers, including a soca chutney band who be performing on Saturday.
President of TT AFF Balchan Mangroo highlighted the growth of participating teams as well as the sponsors of this weekend’s event, including Carib Brewery Limited and Caribbean Bottlers Limited.
And Henry Antoine, a representative of the World All Fours Federation, this International Champions Cup will be used to launch the 2018 World Tournament and sees this weekend’s competition as a platform for the Ministry of Sport, the Ministry of Culture and the Tourism Development Corporation to get involved in.
The bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition when discovered in their home at the corner of Gonzalez Street and SS Erin Road. Yesterday, Doodnath not only extended his personal condolences to the grieving family but also on behalf of the business fraternity.
He described the Bernard women as, “two of the most decent people you can find in Siparia.” As former chairman of the regional corporation, Doodnath said he interacted with the elder Bernard on several occasions. “I am very saddened by their deaths because I would have known them before. I would have had cause to interact with them. It is a very tragic time. We are hoping the police will bring those who have committed such a heinous act to justice.” Speaking in his capacity as chamber president, he added: “We are very concerned about the increase in criminal activity in Siparia and our intentions are to continue to work with them to bring closure to issues like these.” Doodnath told Newsday while Bernard was never a member of the business chamber, she was a business person who many years ago operated a thriving poultry shop in the heart of Siparia.
Yesterday, autopsies done at the Forensic Science Centre, St James revealed that both women died as a result of multiple stab wounds.
Investigators said the mansion which the mother and daughter shared was ransacked leading police to believe among the motives behind the double murder could be robbery. They said other leads are also being pursued. Newsday also learnt that a handyman who was well-known to the women was among one of the first persons to be questioned. However he was not detained.
Residents yesterday described the Bernards as devout Catholics who although they kept to themselves, were very charitable in the community. Kathy Ann, Newsday was told, had returned from Florida a few years ago to take care of her elderly mother. On Tuesday night, the woman’s three children arrived in Trinidad to take care of funeral arrangements
Dulalchan said that any “gaps” that the TTPS needs to tighten to protect its officers from such occurrences will be tightened. Regarding the overall crime rate for Carnival 2017, he said that it was “very good.” He continued, “The TTPS will like to take this opportunity to thank all Carnival stakeholders such as the National Carnival Commission and its umbrella organisations in mas, pan and calypso, as well as key security stakeholders, including the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, the fusion centre (Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre), the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service, Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service, Customs and Excise, Immigration Division, ODPM, the Municipal Police and Traffic Wardens. The police service also wants to extend its praises and appreciation to masqueraders and the general public for being responsible, considerate and caring during the carnival period.” Overall, there were fifteen serious reported crimes, an eleven percent reduction from Carnival 2016. The fifteen crimes that took place fell into the following categories: a homicide, three “woundings,” three shootings with intent, three larceny, three robberies with violence, one assault with intent to rob and a larceny of motor vehicle.
Dulalchan said that these events took place between midnight Carnival Monday and midnight Carnival Tuesday, and 182 persons “were arrested for various offences.” There were no reports, according to him, of sexual offences against women. On police performance during Carnival celebrations, Dulalchan said that there was an eight to ten percent absenteeism rate throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
PC Larry Le Gendre,35, and his brother Lawrence,30, are now home resting and said to be in stable condition following gunshot injuries sustained to their face and neck respectively.
According to a police report, at about 1.25 am on Saturday, the policeman and his brother were liming at the Country Cabin Sports Bar along Torrib Trace, New Grant when the incident occurred. Police report , the brothers, their father Alexander, 63, and patrons were playing a game or pool, when three armed men stormed into the bar.
Police said that one of the men was armed with a cutlass and the other two were armed with firearms.
Reports said that the masked men ordered the patrons to lie to the ground before opening fire. While the police office and his brother were about to lie to the ground the men opened fire.
Larry, who is on vacation leave, sustained a wound to the face and Lawrence was hit in his neck. The brothers reside at Le Gendre Robert Village, Tableland. The men then fled the scene. The siblings’ mother, Marian, yesterday told Newsday Larry was discharged on Tuesday and his younger brother on Monday.
“I am just happy that they are home and safe.
