Fisherfolk at sea over Icacos fish kill

Yvonne Baboolal
Published: 28 Jun 2009
http://guardian.co.tt/features/life/2009/06/28/fisherfolk-sea-over-icacos-fish-kill

A line of dead fish stretched as far as the eye could see on the south coast Icacos beach on Monday. A few vultures cautiously eyed the fish, and a flock of sea ducks stood on the sand, watching seaward as if anxiously awaiting something. “The corbeaux are afraid to eat them, and the sea ducks, which normally feed on small fish, are not getting their food,” fisherman Shane Dalbarry told the Sunday Guardian.

The phenomenon of the fish kill on the south coast—from Icacos to Moruga—fishermen say, which started about a month ago, has continued without interruption. Every day, a new line of dead fish is seen on the water’s edge for miles along the coastline. The unusual incidence remains a mystery for the authorities and worried residents of the seaside villages, who depend mainly on fishing for their livelihood. Fishermen estimate that more than 1,000 people, including boatmen, vendors and hustlers, depend on the industry for survival. They said they didn’t know whether drilling activities or effluent from industries in the area might be the cause.
Trinmar, part of the state-owned oil company Petrotrin, conducts offshore activities on the south coast. Atlantic Liquified Natural Gas (ALNG) is located in Point Fortin.

Tests ongoing
The Environmental Management Authority (EMA), unable to handle the matter, passed it on to the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), which, in turn, claims it is still “conducting tests” and cannot say what is causing fish to die by the thousands. “The EMA cannot determine the cause of the killing of the fish,” Nyantara Hasan, from the communications department, told the Sunday Guardian on Tuesday. “So we requested the assistance of the IMA, which is headed by Commodore Anthony Franklyn. They indicated that they made field visits and took samples. “They are still investigating the matter. Because it is such a long stretch (over which the kill extends), they intend to do more field visits.” The IMA’s chief information officer, Patricia Tobitt, said: “We’re still doing tests. When we’re finished, we will release the results. “But I don’t even know if we will be able to say what caused the killing of the fish.”

Tobitt did not want to speculate, but noted that one thing was sure: “It’s just sardines that are being affected.” The IMA visited areas like Moruga, Los Iros and Erin, and took samples from the water and infected fish. An ALNG company source claimed that no pollution from the plant went into the sea. “The only thing that is released is water. And I don’t think the little water that comes off goes very far. “Nothing toxic is produced at ALNG as a result of the process.” The source also refuted the notion by some Cedros residents that chemically coated ballast, used to stabilise boats, is dumped into the water by ships that came into the area. “For the last ten years, those ships have been coming here, and nothing has happened. I don’t think they’re doing anything different now.” Trinmar officials refused to comment on the matter.

Rejected by the birds, too
Allen Gadjadhar and other fishermen were mounting a new net with cork and lead inside Fullerton Fishing Centre last Monday, but the prospects do not look so good. “The feed (sardines and smaller fish) attracts the bigger fish. But with the amount of bait being killed over the past month, the bigger fish not coming. Even the birds not eating the sardines. “Before the kill, I used to bring in about three, four hundred pounds of fish a day. “Now, if we get one hundred pounds, we lucky.” Gadjadhar’s lament was echoed by Shane Dalbarry, who has been maintaining his wife and four children off fishing for the last five years. “For the past month, we seeing problems. We spend $300 in gas to go out and make a day’s work, and we can’t catch bait. “This is threatening our livelihood. I can’t even buy groceries like before.” Baffled, Dalbarry asked: “What’s causing this?”

He said mud from the sea floor also was destroying their nets. “I don’t know if this has to do with drilling activities.” President of Cedros Peninsular United, Dr Raphael Sebastien, said, “We don’t know what’s going on. We want to know. Who’s hiding what? “There are all kinds of industrial developments going on in the area, and no independent regulatory body to monitor them. “If this situation continues, a lot of fishermen could be on the breadline.” Sebastien said our marine and coastal resources were, by far, major contributors to the national economy. “Oil and gas production, fisheries, tourism, holiday seaside recreation are but some of the revenue-generating activities emanating from these resources. “Our marine space (200-mile exclusive economic zone) is far greater than our land space and our greatest wealth-bearing asset.

“But both policy and management infrastructure are very inadequate, inflicting great stress upon coastal communities, especially small fishermen and their families.” Sebastien said the recent fish kill was but one of the many daggers piercing the heart of the small fisherman. “Ongoing pollution of seas and coastlines, destruction of seabed by deep-sea trawling, piracy and unabated coastal erosion, resulting from ill-conceived heavy industrial activities, are some of the other factors that keep driving their nails deeper in the coffin of the small fishing industry. “An immediate priority must be the development of an appropriate, sustainable marine and coastal management infrastructure.”