Prime Minister Patrick Manning said yesterday that the Government intended to protect its natural resources while the Coast Guard warned it would arrest Barbados fishermen found carrying out their trade in this country's territorial waters...
News Source: Trinidad Express
And while the Coast Guard says it does not intend to escalate the raging dispute between the two Caricom member states, it stands ready to defend the territorial integrity of Trinidad and Tobago.
At yesterday's post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Manning initially refused comment on statements made by Barbados Attorney General Mia Mottley to her country's fishermen to catch flying fish on their migration path off the coast of Tobago, but said: "Our intentions are clear. We intend to protect our natural resources."
Manning added that Cabinet "is resolute in its determination to protect the country's natural resources whether it be oil, gas or fish."
Spokesperson for the Coast Guard Commander Kirton Huggins told the Express the Coast Guard would enforce the law unless it was directed by the government to allow the Barbadian fishermen in.
He said: "It is our duty to protect the fishing resources of Trinidad and Tobago and if Barbadian fishermen are in breach of the law we will arrest them and their boats. It is for the political directorate to give us other instructions and so far they have not indicated to us any change of policy."
Commander Huggins said the Coast Guard has not increased its resources in Tobago but it continued "rigorous enforcement" of the country's territorial boundaries.
He added: "We have continued our patrols and air surveillance off the coast of Tobago with the same resources we have been using."
Highly placed sources indicate that several sorties were conducted yesterday in the waters separating Barbados and Tobago, using both fixed winged aircraft and national security helicopters.
The Barbados AG had also warned on Wednesday that if the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard arrested any Barbadians for fishing in the disputed waters between the two countries, which is outside Trinidad's 12-mile territorial boundary, while the matter is before an arbitration committee, Barbados would respond in the strongest possible terms.
Yesterday the leadership of the Coast Guard held a marathon meeting at its Staubles Bay Headquarters in which the matter was discussed.
It is understood that an assessment of the threat was done and the Coast Guard is to conduct an analysis of how they should respond if called upon.
Commander Huggins said the Coast Guard would not be drawn into politics or be fazed by what is said in the newspapers because "one had to consider what are the capabilities of the Barbados Coast Guard."
He said it was unlikely that the Barbados Coast Guard would want to accompany their fishermen into the territorial waters of Trinidad and Tobago and added that in any case there were laws which were clear and clear rules of engagement.
Huggins said: "But we do not think it will require a military response. It will not come to that."
