LAMBEAU FISHERMEN operating in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean are among the major casualties of the oil spill, which continues to pollute the waters off Tobago’s southwestern coast.
During the day, several of them can be seen huddled at Pascal’s corner drinking or smoking cigarettes to pass the time while others have resorted to gardening and other activities to support their families.
With Lent in full swing, the men would have been at sea catching fish. But the events of February 7 have dampened one of their busiest period of trade to the point where they now face an uncertain future.
On February 7, a barge leaking an oil-like substance was found overturned in the sea some 200 metres away from the Cove Eco-Industrial Park.
The barge – Gulfstream – was being towed by a tugboat reportedly destined for Guyana at the time of its discovery. The tugboat – Solo Creed – has not yet been found. Its owners also have not come forward to claim the vessel.
In the meantime, the oil-like substance, which has been identified by the Institute of Marine Affairs as bunker fuel, continues to leak from the Gulfstream, tainting the waters off Canoe Bay along the coast.
Although the spill has been contained to a great extent, Lambeau and other areas in the region remain under threat.
The village fishermen are known for bountiful catches of red fish, lobster, tuna, and shark, among others.
“The fishermen of Lambeau have been greatly affected by the spill,” Alison Thomas, secretary of the Tobago Unified Fisherfolk Association, told Sunday Newsday.
“They can’t ply their trade because they can’t go out at sea. They can’t even go and move their boats to another location because of health reasons and contaminating other waters with the oil that is below the boats. So they have not been surviving well.”
Owing to the number of fish they catch on any given day, Thomas said people often believe that fishermen make “big money."
“But at the end of the day, all does not go into the fisherman’s pocket. They have a crew to pay, expenses and overheads. So they need some redress because not a red dollar is coming in right now.”
Noting the spill took place days before the official start of Lent, Thomas could not say if the price of fish would increase or decline during the season.
However, she observed that people are already being told to avoid buying fish from the area.
“Word is spreading that people should not buy any fish from Lambeau because it is polluted. But people need to be mindful that the fishermen don’t just throw a line to catch fish. They go out and there is not much oil outside.”
In the meantime, Thomas said, some fishermen are planning to move to other areas, such as Buccoo, to fish.
She said on February 22, Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and Heritage Petroleum workers helped to remove oil stains from a fisherman’s boat so that he could venture into other waters to fish. Others are expected to follow suit.
Thomas, who says her “navel string is planted” in Lambeau, now lives in Black Rock.
