$50,000 fine for breaking curfew in seas around T&T

An official notice has warned that breach of the curfew in the waters surrounding Trinidad and Tobago could result in a fine of $50,000. The curfew from 11 pm to four in the morning appleis to the full coastal areas of the country.

The notice said the fine may be imposed upon summary conviction by a magistrate. The fine for breach of curfew on land is $3,000 and six months jail.

The hefty fine for curfew breakers on the seas is meant to deter anyone who wants to use vessels to bring in illegal firearms and narcotics.

The Ministry of the Attorney General sent out a media release with clarification of the extend of the maritime curfew.

"The coastal zone extends three nautical miles seaward from the coastlines of the islands of Trinidad, Monos, Huevos, Chacachacare, Gaspar Grande, Carrera and Crondstadt and the Five Islands and falling within the territorial sea, archipelagic waters and internal waters of Trinidad and Tobago,” the release stated.

No person is allowed to pilot a vessel between the curfew hours unless that person has a government issued permit. The release also outlined exceptions to the rule. The vessels that are exempt are:

• vessels anchored in the coastal zone between 11 pm and 4am
• vessels of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Coast Guard, the Police Service and the Customs and Excise Division and “any other vessel in the official service of the State”
• vessels exempted by the Chief of Defence Staff in writing. 

On August 31, the Coast Guard confiscated cocaine with a street value of $3.2 million and arrested two Trinidadians, a Colombian and a Venezuelan.

Anyone who wants to get a permit to use a boat in the coastal waters during the curfew hours would have to apply in writing to the Chief of Defence Staff at the Defence Force Headquarters, Chaguaramas.
Fishermen in particular are worried about their business and how these measures will affect them.

President of the Claxton Bay Fishermen Association Kishore Boodram has asked the state to consider issuing special permits to fishermen.

"It is not the fine alone,” Boodram told local media.

“Remember, they will throw you in a cell among seasoned bandits and that is the part which the fisherman are afraid of. We think they could put some kind of measures in place to sort out the bona fide fishermen and they could make a pass that we could work with,” he said.

Fishermen in other areas are also upset because their fear business will grind to a halt, meaning they would have no way to make payments for the equipment they use, such as engines for their boats.