For over three decades, Trinidad’s northern coastal waters have witnessed what environmental advocates describe as “ecological violence”—the systematic destruction of marine ecosystems through illegal shrimp trawling operations that flout environmental regulations with impunity.
According to Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), the repetitive environmental crime occurs as a grim annual ritual, leaving coastal communities impoverished and marine habitats devastated. Massive tickler chains dragged by shrimp trawlers systematically scrape and massacre seabeds, destroying marine life from bottom to top during critical spawning seasons.
The existing legislation clearly restricts shrimp trawling to specific parameters: only permitted from November 15 to January 15, exclusively west of Saut d’Eau Island, at minimum two nautical miles offshore, and solely between 6 am and 6 pm. These regulations were established to protect juvenile fish populations, preserve seabed integrity, and safeguard the livelihoods of artisanal fishers.
Despite these protections, illegal operations continue unabated—conducting trawling activities during nighttime hours, operating dangerously close to shore, and even intruding within the marine protected area east of Saut d’Eau Island. The very agencies mandated to prevent these violations appear either unable or unwilling to enforce compliance.
The enforcement failure is particularly glaring given newly available radar capabilities in Tobago that can monitor maritime activity. On December 9, when reports of illegal trawling were filed, the Coast Guard’s response proved deeply troubling—acknowledging they must “catch them in the act” while trawlers engage in elaborate evasion tactics, lifting nets as enforcement vessels approach and claiming compliance.
This annual cat-and-mouse game costs taxpayers tens of millions while producing one of the world’s highest bycatch discard rates: 14.7 pounds of marine life destroyed for every single pound of shrimp landed—representing over 90% waste. Environmental advocates characterize this destruction as nothing short of “ecological genocide.”
The crisis is compounded by antiquated legislation—the 1916 fisheries law, the world’s oldest still in effect—which FFOS has campaigned to replace for over 30 years. Despite a 2014 commitment by the then UNC government to ban shrimp trawling entirely, and millions spent on feasibility studies, destructive practices continue without pause.
The organization now issues a direct appeal to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, emphasizing that over 50,000 citizens depend on this industry for survival. They demand real enforcement, properly equipped Coast Guard vessels with fast interceptors, and urgent parliamentary action on the Fisheries Bill to end what they term “state-sanctioned lawlessness at sea.”
