What You Need to Know:
A ship identified as ‘Gulfstream’ capsized off the coast of Cove, Tobago, early Wednesday morning and began leaking an ‘oil-like substance’, which has now contaminated nearly 29 miles of coastline and near-shore marine areas, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Weather Center (TATWC).
Authorities claim they have been unable to determine the ship’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) registration number and thus cannot determine where the ship came from nor where its crew went, as divers have been unable to locate any bodies. More peculiarly, the North Post Radio did not receive any distress calls from Gulfstream.
Furthermore, dive team leader Alvin Douglas believed the ship may have capsized before hitting the reef, stating, “We also observe that there is a debris trail on the water that suggests that the vessel was turned over even before it made contact with the reef. The superstructure of the vessel was torn off. There were cranes, arms and railings all the way, and there’s a lot of destruction in that area.”
Additionally, Douglas claims there is reason to believe the ship may have been towed before it capsized, adding, “We also found a cable that is connected to the bow of the vessel. That also suggests that the vessel may have been in tow because the anchor is secured where it’s at. But there is a huge tow line, approximately a third of the length of the vessel.”
The Details:
Despite huge efforts to set up oil booms, peat moss and other equipment to slow the spill from moving further inland, the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and Tobago Emergency Operations Center (TEOC), which is on level two orange alert, claim they have not yet been successful in containing the spill.
So, What Now?:
According to TATWC, the islands economies are heavily dependent on fishing and tourism, raising the alarm of an oil-spill is likely to have major consequences, hence their use of ‘oil-like substance’ when referring to the spill.
Farley Augustine, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, has urged beachgoers and fishermen to avoid the contaminated waters until those liable – the owner of the ship or its nation of origin can be identified.