Trinidad and Tobago is facing an emergency due to a serious oil spill

Authorities from Trinidad and Tobago They are facing a national emergency due to an oil spill on their shores caused by a derelict ship and have not ruled out seeking foreign aid to control this environmental disaster.

He Maritime Institute reported this Tuesday that it was conducting initial assessments of mangroves, beaches and other areas and warned that ecologically sensitive areas such as Petit Trou were severely affected by the spill, which began a week ago, although it was not announced until last Sunday.

The fishing industry has also been severely affected, as has the tourism sector, as Tobago’s assembly had to close access to several beaches while clean-up operations were carried out.

According to Tobago Emergency Management Agency, The oil slick is 48 nautical miles (approximately 88 kilometers) long and 0.13 nautical miles (240 meters) wide.

He Prime Minister Keith Rowley He described the oil spill as a “national emergency” and expressed concern that the disaster was caused by an abandoned vessel that appears to have drifted into local waters.

The president visited the affected area on the southwest coast of Tobago and told a press conference that the spill was not under control, but that it showed “stop signs” in the midst of ongoing work.

In this regard, Rowley indicated that all efforts to clean up, mitigate and prevent new disasters will continue to intensify in the coming days in accordance with the operational protocol of the Office of Disaster Preparedness Management (ODPM).

The prime minister said some “friendly” countries with experience of oil spills had offered “significant assistance” and that Trinidad and Tobago could accept it.

Although oil has expanded in the main beaches of the island of Tobago, Rowley He said the event could have been “much worse” if it had affected certain areas such as Buccoo Reef and Nylon Pool, according to experts.

The authorities are also investigating the origin of the ship, since they do not yet know where it came from, whose fuel it is and how much fuel it has stored.

Rowley said no distress calls could be found in national security records and that the ship could have been part of an “illicit” operation.