Environmental advocacy organization Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) has issued an urgent appeal to Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, demanding immediate action against destructive illegal trawling operations along the nation’s North Coast.
In a December 12 media release, FFOS corporate secretary Gary Aboud highlighted the ongoing environmental devastation caused by unauthorized shrimp trawlers that continue to operate despite clear regulations. The organization described the situation as ‘ecological violence and genocide,’ citing the systematic destruction of marine ecosystems through practices comparable to dynamite fishing in terms of sustainability impact.
According to FFOS research, these trawlers utilize massive tickler chains that scrape and devastate the seabed, resulting in catastrophic by-catch ratios where approximately 14.7 pounds of marine life are destroyed for every single pound of shrimp harvested. This indiscriminate destruction disproportionately affects juvenile species and severely impacts local fishing communities whose fish pots and nets are regularly damaged by the illegal operations.
Current regulations explicitly restrict shrimp trawling to specific parameters: only permitted west of Saut d’Eau Island from November 15 to January 15, operating solely between 6 am and 6 pm, and maintaining a minimum distance of two nautical miles offshore. However, FFOS reports consistent violations occurring with apparent impunity under the surveillance of authorized enforcement agencies.
The organization criticized the Coast Guard’s response methodology, noting that when reports of illegal trawling were recently made, officials initially failed to collect essential details and subsequently stated they needed to ‘catch them in the act.’ FFOS characterized this as an ineffective cat-and-mouse game where trawlers simply lift their nets when enforcement vessels approach or claim to be operating beyond the two-mile limit.
FFOS revealed that this issue has persisted since at least 2014 when the former UNC government committed to addressing the problem and conducted feasibility studies. The organization now questions why taxpayers continue funding repeated studies while environmental destruction continues unabated.
The advocacy group specifically called for enhanced enforcement capabilities including properly equipped Coast Guard vessels, fast interceptors, and potential utilization of US military-grade radar technology. Additionally, FFOS demanded parliamentary action on the long-pending Fisheries Bill to establish comprehensive legal frameworks preventing what they term ‘state-sanctioned lawlessness at sea.’