Maritime attorney Nyree Alfonso says there is an urgent need to secure T&T's coasts in light of the violent attacks against fishermen in the Gulf of Paria, on August 13. In the aftermath of the mayhem, fishermen Motilal Ramkalawan, Krishna Apoo and Kendell Maharaj died. Alfonso, who has the distinction of being the first lawyer in T&T to earn a post-graduate diploma in maritime law, called upon fishermen to assume greater responsibility with their safety at sea. She said it was even more challenging since "the sea was a law unto itself." To compound it, in the event of a disaster, "the sea did not have any road or mountains." Alfonso said: "We definitely need to secure T&T's coast. The level of piracy is even more violent today. It is an extremely dangerous life.
"I underestimated the extent of violence on the sea," he said. "But, sadly, the sea is becoming a chapter of what is happening on land. It is our homegrown definition of piracy." Previously, Alfonso said, local fishermen had to contend with rogue elements in the Venezuelan Guardia Nacional, which used to rob them of their catch and steal their engines (valued around $30,000 to $40,000.) "Before those fellas would be attacked by people speaking Spanish. They would take your 400 or 500 pounds of fish. Now, it is more violent. There is blood on the high seas," Alfonso said.
Tougher at sea
Alfonso identified three types of fishermen–artisan fishermen, trawlers and coastal fishermen. She said it was easier for fishermen to secure their craft and equipment on land. Alfonso said: "They don't leave their boats on the sand. They don't leave their equipment lying around. It could be easily addressed by establishing proper facilities on land. They have depots. Although the depots leave much to be desired." But, the real challenge lay with looking after the safety and welfare of fishermen at sea. She said: "At sea, fishermen are exposed to robberies and water taxis cutting their nets. A pirogue strings out the net to catch fish. They run the risk of bigger tugs going across their vessels and cutting them. The banditry and the violence is harder to address at sea."
She said the Coast Guard needed to be more vigilant. "There are a lot more policemen in cars than coastguardsmen in boats," Alfonso said. "Clearly, they have to conduct more patrols since fishermen traverse the south-east and north-east coasts, and Tobago. "They have this vast expanse of sea to cover. It is not easy. "Let's say we have about one dozen patrol boats that take care of the offshore things. They cannot be everywhere at the same time. Even if you had 20, the question would be: How do you place them? "You clearly have to do more patrols so pirates are deterred in some way. What are you going to do? Are you going to put three vessels in every piece of sea?"
Again, she reiterated the sea didn't have any road, so the body of water was even more difficult to navigate. "If you put out your larger boats, it's the smaller boats that will have to patrol...The pirates are coming in pirogues with big engines," she said.
Create safety zones
Alfonso says fishermen could also go out in groups to deter pirates.
"They could go out in two or three groupings," she said. "Fishermen have to rely on each other for security. They could go out within a reasonable distance. But they could still go out in posses. They should be close enough to have 'shouting contact' with another vessel. They should have another vessel in close proximity." Alfonso said most fishermen belong to organisations so they could use those bonds they have forged as a catalyst to protect themselves.
She said fishermen, too, must realise they were not immune to the escalating violence that has permeated the society. "Citizens...fishermen have to move differently," she said. Alfonso said they had to be eternally vigilant; especially if they don't have radio equipment or cellphones within reach. Quizzed on fishermen's calls for guns, Alfonso said: "You can't arm every fishermen, every taxi driver, every citizen with a gun. They will be using it against each other. "I love to eat fish...But I don't ever want to be a fisherman," she said.
