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No Deal
T&T, Barbados yet to settle fishing dispute



Ambassador Phillip Sealey, centre, and other members of the Trinidad and Tobago delegation leave Manor Lodge, Green Hill, St Michael, Barbados, after negotiations on a new fishing treaty between this country and Barbados.
—Photo courtesy the Barbados Nation

Negotiations between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados on the contentious issue of a new fishing treaty ended on Friday without an agreement being reached.

A joint statement released yesterday read: “On the matter of fisheries the two sides have further refined their respective positions on the outstanding issues and have made some progress in resolving their differences.

“A number of issues still remain to be resolved before a Fisheries Agreement will be ready for signature.”

Representatives of both countries held three days of meetings at Manor Lodge, Greenhill, St Michael.

This country’s delegation was led by Ambassador Phillip Sealy, while Sir Harold St John led the Barbados team.

“The delegations also had a further exchange of views on maritime delimitation in the ongoing process to negotiate a maritime boundary delimitation treaty between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

“The two sides have agreed to resume these negotiations as soon as possible in light of the importance of the issues to the overall relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados,” the joint statement added.

During a news conference in his country one week ago, Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur said that until a long-standing fishing dispute between the two countries was resolved, his country would not consider deepening political ties with Trinidad and Tobago.

Arthur complained that the regional integration movement could be compromised over the inability of Caricom states to resolve matters which affected their citizens.

During his weekly post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Port of Spain, on Thursday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said Barbados’ demand for greater access to this country’s flying fish resources posed a problem in the resolution of a new fishing agreement between the two countries.

Courtesy of the Express

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Can some one please give me a little history as to how this really started up? The conflict in fishing with these two countries that is. I know that Trinidad and Venezuela also have run ins but it doesn't seem to be as large as the Trini/BIm. Does anyone know if they (Venez/Trini) have an understanding? and if they doh y cannot it not pertain to BIM also???

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I don't remember the details but I remember reading a long time ago that the conflict between Barbados and Trini stemmed from the supposedly illegal flying fish fishing in Tobago waters. Seems, the majority of flying fish, historically, are harvested in these waters and not B'dos waters. This due to the sea currents that are strong East to West. Now if I understand nautical policies, soverign land extends 15 miles beyond the beach line but political boundaries are negotiated between the concerned nations. Now, although Trinbagonians normally don't eat a lot of flying fish there is concern about the other types that are harvested. Hence the concern. I believe there is an agreement between Trini and Venezuela but I don't know the details. I do know there has been numerous disputes in the past, where both nations has imprisoned fishermen. I think fish falls on a much lower priority when there is an oil vein that runs between both countries. I learned a bit of this from my brother, whom for years, patrolled the waters of TNT as a policeman.

So is why everybody want to teif out we fish so???? stewps

like Trinis does eat Flying fish

Buh is a real sweet fish when you learn the art of boning it!