Tobago fishermen and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) have expressed their willingness to meet with the Barbados fisheries department to come up with a solution to issues arising from claims of Barbadian fishermen overfishing in Tobago waters.
Barbados’s fisheries department and its fisherfolk have been mum on the matter.
The fishermen have been at odds with one another for some time with Tobagonians claiming that their counterparts from Barbados have been depleting their fish stocks –particularly flying fish – and taking a significant portion of their catch.
Tobago All Fisherfolk Association (ATFA) president Curtis Douglas said a meeting has potential for an amicable resolution between the two parties.
Issues between Barbados and Tobago fishermen came to the fore once again when Douglas vowed to act against the Bajans if the government does not intervene soon. AFTA sent a letter to the Prime Minister last week and Douglas said there are plans to protest at the Barbados consulate. Contacted for a comment, the Barbadian consulate had nothing to say anything on the issue at this time.
On Wednesday, Barbados PM Mia Mottley said she was aware of the concerns raised by Tobago’s fisherfolk, but after a talk with Dr Rowley, both leaders agreed there is no way, either of them could say for certain overfishing has been happening.
Mottley suggested the fisheries departments from Tobago and Barbados meet to assess and resolve the matter.
Mottley believes a fisheries meeting could help resolve the issues between the island’s fishing industries and ensure peaceful co-existence in the region.
She told Barbadian reporterss at a crime symposium in Trinidad, last week, there is no tension between the TT and Barbados governments over the issue.
She said, “There was a concern that was raised by Tobagonian fishermen as I understand it from PM Rowley.
“What PM Rowley and I agreed is that there is no way that either the two of us can say whether there has been overfishing. We do not believe so. My minister and his department have told me that. But I cannot be adamant and they cannot be adamant. Let the fisheries departments meet and let them come to the conclusion based on the science and evidence available.”
Douglas, speaking to Newsday on Thursday, said, “We are willing to sit down around a table and see how we can sort this out. It must be well-organised and structured and the Tobago fisherfolk must have a seat at that table in Barbados.”
[caption id="attachment_1012542" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Curtis Douglas -[/caption]
Responding to Mottley’s comment, Douglas said there are some things that cannot be proved through data, but can be trusted using instincts. “Fishermen know...They have been on the sea for years. They know the difference from the state of how things were before the Bajan fishermen started to operate in Tobago waters.
"At the end of the day we are not crossing their border. They are the ones coming to us. So let us be very careful when we speak about science and evidence in terms
