the boat’s crew is nowhere to be found

In the Caribbean, just opposite Venezuela, the small archipelago of Trinidad and Tobago is affected by an oil spill coming from a mysterious ship, which capsized on Wednesday February 7, 2024.

An oil spill has ravaged the coasts of Trinidad and Tobago, a small territory of 5,128 km2, since Wednesday February 7. At the origin of this disaster, a “mysterious ship” which we are unable to identify and which we do not know for which flag it works. Not only did its crew not make any emergency calls at the time of the sinking, but it disappeared entirely.

The island’s Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) assured that there were no signs of life on the Gulfstream, the name of the boat. Officially the cargo was supposed to be composed of sand and wood, but it turns out that it was oil that the ship was transporting. The sailors therefore fled before being arrested.

Currents carry the boat

What we are sure of is that 15 kilometers of coastline on the island of Tobago are affected. Local authorities in this state close to Venezuela are preparing to declare a national emergency. A thousand volunteers have been working since Thursday to clean up the damage from the oil spill and divers are trying to plug the leak from the ship. You should know that the currents are carrying the boat, which capsized off the coast of the Cove Eco-Industrial Business Park, south of Tobago.

The Environmental Management Agency has recorded damage to the reef and beaches on the Atlantic coast. The current oil spill not only threatens the island’s valuable marine ecosystems, but it also threatens the livelihoods of many of the small businesses operating throughout the region.

Carnival and its economy impacted

This oil spill brings back bad memories because the region has already been affected by this type of tragedy. One of the largest oil spills in the country’s history occurred on July 19, 1979, when two tankers, one carrying 276,000 tons of crude oil and the other 200,000, collided in the South Sea. Caribbean, off the coast of Tobago. At the time, 300,000 tonnes of oil ended up in the sea.

The current situation is not as serious but it is worrying, especially as it arrives at a particular time: the carnival period which usually brings together thousands of travelers. A cruise ship with 3,000 passengers on board is in principle due to dock on Sunday February 18. All this therefore risks being compromised. The traditional children’s carnival has already been canceled in the capital of Tobago, as numerous oil stains stain the coast. The authorities speak of an ecological tragedy but also an economic one with losses which will be considerable.