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Trinidad and Tobago cleans up after 12-kilometre oil spill
FILE PHOTO: An oil spill in Tobago Island, Trinidad and Tobago, is seen in this handout photo released February 10, 2024. Office of the Chief Secretary - THA/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
On Tuesday, responders and volunteers from Trinidad and Tobago mobilised efforts to contain an oil spill detected the previous week in the country’s Caribbean waters and to clean affected areas of Tobago island’s coastline.
The spill was initially sighted by Trinidad and Tobago’s coast guard on February 7, approximately 6 kilometres off the coast of Studley Park, as reported by Farley Augustine, the chief secretary of Tobago’s national assembly, during a press conference on Sunday.
Efforts have been made to install barriers to contain the spill, which had already extended over a 12-kilometre (7.5 mile) area earlier in the week, with a focus on protecting the Scarborough port in Tobago, particularly crucial during high season such as the current Carnival period.
First responders have concentrated on containing the spill amidst changing tides, safeguarding surrounding regions, cleaning affected beaches, deploying divers, isolating hazardous materials, and evaluating the impact on wildlife, as stated by officials and media accounts.
“This situation constitutes a national emergency for Trinidad and Tobago,” stated Prime Minister Keith Rowley on Sunday, attributing the spill to a vessel capsizing and contacting a reef along the coastline.
Authorities have identified the vessel involved as the “Gulfstream,” based on divers spotting the name on the vessel responsible for the spill, though further details were not provided.
The government has pledged to investigate the vessel’s ownership and operation, as well as whether the leakage originated from its bunker deposit. Reuters identified at least three vessels with similar names, all with their transponders offline, according to vessel monitoring data from LSEG.
Rowley emphasized that the situation could have been far worse, noting that if the collision had occurred further east, it would have impacted the Scarborough port, while a spill further west could have severely affected a significant marine park.
Initial assessments suggest limited impact on local wildlife, according to Augustine.
Energy Minister Stuart Young mentioned that some energy companies operating in Trinidad and Tobago, including British BP, have contributed equipment such as remotely operated vehicles to aid in the investigation and cleanup efforts.
