"It's not dumped fish!"- Dying Fish Wash Ashore in Trinidad

Produced by Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) 2016
Song: Blizzard by Kai_Engel
Gary Aboud, Corporate Secretary, FFOS
Wyane Henry, Fisherman & Diver
Jason James, Fisherman & Diver
Kenny Rampersad, Fisherman
Rajin Pragsingh, Fisherman
Winfield Cassimy, Fisherman
Special Thanks to all the fishermen from around the country who were willing to speak out on camera about the sick fish despite it affecting their own livelihood.
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GULF OF POISON
In the aftermath of Petrotrin’s disastrous December 17th 2013 oil spills, the oil spill dispersant COREXIT® EC9500A was used indiscriminately in the near shore area. The tides it, into the mangrove, and under the sea bed and sand, where it still remains today. For the past three years, whenever there is oceanic turbulence or heavy rainfall, thousands of dead or dying fish wash ashore.
In 2013, these contaminated areas were declared by Petrotrin to be a “Red Zone” in which all fishing was banned. What was the criterion used to lift this ban? In a January 2014 press release, La Brea MP Fitzgerald Jeffrey reported that the oil spill affected residents of Coffee Beach were falling sick and that he believed their illnesses were linked to Petrotrin’s use of Corexit.
FFOS have alerted the EMA and the IMA, but they continue to hide behind the explanation that aquatic life is washing ashore because fishers are dumping low value fish. This is not by-catch discard. None of these fish have gill net marks. Are fishers dumping a variety of high value fish such as salmon, pague, grouper, blinch, and crocro, still alive, flapping and gasping with blood in their gills? How do they explain dead pelicans, corbeaux and flipper dolphins?
According to US Environmental Protection Agency data, Corexit is one of the most toxic chemicals of its kind. Additionally, a Corexit-oil mixture is much more toxic than either oil alone or Corexit alone. We believe that there is a direct correlation between these fish kills, the reports of ill health and the Corexit emulsified hydrocarbon which was left submerged in the near shore marine ecosystem and mangrove in this exact geographical area three years ago. This is no coincidence. These fish are only washing up on Corexit laced beaches; Coffee, Carat Shed and Point Sable in La Brea.
Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) is calling for independently verified scientific data to be collected and made public on the health of fish stocks from Otaheiti to Point Fortin, and also the quality of water at the intake for the Point Fortin Desalination Plant.
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