THE All Tobago Fisherfolk Association (ATFA) is calling on Energy Minister Stuart Young to say why the organisation was not included on any panel at the recently concluded energy conference in Trinidad.
The conference was held from January 23-25 at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain. It featured contributions by Juan Vasquez, country manager, Woodside Energy; David Campbell, regional president, bpTT; Mark Loquan, president of the National Gas Company of TT Ltd; Aleeya Ali, Proman’s managing director of operations, and others. Dr Thackwray Driver, president and CEO, of the Energy Chamber, was the facilitator.
During a news conference on Tuesday in Scarborough, ATFA president Curtis Douglas said the association should have been invited to participate.
“When they had that energy conference, not even a member of the All Tobago Fisherfolk or the Chief Secretary (Farley Augustine did attend the energy conference) was on a panel to discuss the way forward in the energy sector. Is about high time these kinds of dictatorship and...colonial behaviour stop,” a visibly upset Douglas told reporters.
“This is a twin island republic – Trinidad and Tobago. If they are not organising Trinidad, that is no fault of ours. But when it comes to the waters of Tobago, make it clear, All Tobago fisherfolk are structured and well prepared for anything that you could dish out to us.
“You supposed to represent the people of Trinidad and Tobago. You are having this big energy conference and where are the Tobago fisherfolk?
In response, CEO of the Energy Chamber Thackwray Driver told Newsday the chamber did not specially invite non-governmental organisations (NGOs), with the exception of the Heroes Foundation that helped bring students from high schools throughout Trinidad to this year's conference.
All other attendees and companies that had booths at the event, had to register and pay to be there.
Douglas also claimed that a rig had recently destroyed the fish-aggregating devices (FADs) of fishermen in Charlotteville, Parlatuvier, Castara, Culloden and Plymouth.
He said, “Everybody know now is dolphin season, now is tuna season. They mash up – even on the rig.
"I personally went out and saw FADs stick up on the rig itself.”
Douglas claimed three energy companies denied culpability.
“So if is not them – is the devil. If is not one of them that doing exploration and cutting away all our livelihood, who it is?”
He urged Young to provide answers.
“You cannot say these things coming and destroying our products and nobody knows. When they (energy companies) cutting away (fish pots and FADs) and making hardship upon the fisherfolk in Tobago, who should be angry – not us?
“So Tobago is a free-for-all, anybody could come in with a rig and cut away we thing. The normal practice in moving forward is we will have a phone call, a conversation of what time the rig is traversing to and from. So if we have anything in the way, they could re-route that route so fisherfolk will not be able to get damaged. When you cut away our fish
