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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago Government on Friday said the authorities are conducting an operation to determine the source and nature of a substance after Venezuela claimed that a new oil spill originating from Trinidad and Tobago had been confirmed by satellite imagery.
“This event surpasses in magnitude the one that occurred in May and confirms the movement of contaminants into Venezuelan waters, posing risks to marine ecosystems, fishing activity and coastal communities,” the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
However, Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal said his ministry, as well as Heritage Petroleum and the Air Guard, are conducting a joint operation to determine the source and nature of the substance.
“We are coordinating a joint activity to ascertain the facts. We are in touch with the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs (Sean Sobers) as well.
“We have deployed sea vessels and drones to conduct reconnaissance. We have received a report from our Venezuelan counterparts and are urgently investigating,” Moonilal said, adding that one concern is that if the substance is oil, it could drift into Venezuelan waters.
In May this year, Port of Spain said it had dealt adequately with an oil spill that was detected at the start of the month, even as Caracas complained to the international community that the spill had caused environmental damage in the Gulf of Paria and along coastal areas of Sucre and Delta Amacuro.
In a statement, the MEEI said that the oil spill detected in the Main Field on May 1 was stopped the same day, repaired, and returned to service the following day.
In its latest statement, Caracas said the “competent Venezuelan state agencies have activated the necessary monitoring and mitigation protocols to protect the affected coasts.”
It said that Venezuela “demands that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago fully assume its responsibility, adopting immediate measures to prevent further incidents and guaranteeing full transparency regarding the causes, scope and consequences of this spill.”
Furthermore, it reserves the right to take appropriate action before the competent international bodies to determine responsibility, demand any applicable compensation and prevent the recurrence of similar events.
Caracas said it reaffirms “its unwavering commitment to the protection of the environment, life and the defence of its marine species.”
