After being out of compliance for some four years, the THA-owned Capital of Paradise commercial fishing vessel has been repaired and returned to the people of Tobago at an estimated cost of $1.8 million.

The boat, operated by the Tobago Agribusiness Development Company (Tadco), was deemed unseaworthy during the term of the former THA administration.

A team of officials, led by Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, toured the vessel at the Scarborough Port on Tuesday.

They were later taken on a short sail in the waters off Scarborough.

Speaking to reporters before the tour, Augustine said the vessel’s readiness was long overdue.

He said soon after the Progressive Democratic Patriots assumed control of the THA, in December 2021, the administration learnt that the vessel was in a state of disrepair in Chaguaramas, Trinidad.

“We do know that some money was paid in November last year. And we do have a report from the maritime surveyor, Mr (Ricardo) Alfred, that detailed the state of the boat then,” he said.

Augustine said his administration had to subsequently pay “a tidy sum” to complete the work on the vessel.

“We were resolute in having the boat ready and prepared within our first three months in office because we felt at the time that this is something Tobagonians have been asking about over and over again. Where is the Capital of Paradise? How much money is being made from it? Who is working on it? And we were not getting any of those answers.”

He said he was advised that between October 2020 to date, an estimated $1.8 million was spent on getting the vessel seaworthy.

“It is baffling why it took this long because if you started spending and repairing it since 2020, all of this should have been ready. The boat should have been here before, but the past is the past. We fixing things.”

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