Oil spill hurting San Fernando fishermen

Fishermen at King’s Wharf, San Fernando are worried that a growing oil spill would have a serious effect on their work.

They say a small spill that they noticed a few days ago has now spread more than eight kilometres into the Gulf of Paria. The oil is contaminating fishing nets and fouling boat engines, the fishermen say.

One fisherman told reporters the oil has damaged more than one kilometre of his net, which is valued at more than $30,000. Anil Rampersad told the Trinidad Guardian he has not been able to catch fish for the past 11 days.

“When the nets have oil, the fish stay away,” he explained. “I fish more than five miles out. I have spent close to $800 in gas to go out there and I am not getting any catch." he told the paper, noting that he has now lost about $11,000 in potential income.

“We want the ministry to compensate us...We have children to support, but since we reported the spill, nobody has assisted us,” he said.

Rampersad said more than 20 boats are affected by the spill.

The oil appears to be coming from the Oropouche lagoon, where farmers have complained that crude seeping from a broken line has contaminated large areas of agricultural land.

The state-owned Petrotrin initially said its investigations showed that the oil was not conming from its sources.

Read the story: Oil spill problems in south Trinidad; not us, says oil company

Minister of Energy Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan has contradicted the energy company's officials. She told reporters in Port of Spain Thursday she has discussed the matter with Petrotrin officials who now acknowledge that the spill has come from the company's pipeline.

Seepersad-Bachan explained that the oil had spread because of the rains and gave the assurance that clean-up work had been started.

With respect to compensation, she said government officials would have to speak with farmers and fishermen to determine how the spill has affected their livelihoods.