Talking Blue

Tobago is blessed with nice waters, fantastic beaches and great fishing grounds. These are critically important to the sun sea and sand aspect of its tourism. The other component of its watery assets; sub-sea oil and gas is extracted by mining companies who pay for the pleasure. The money earned from royalties go into the national purse. Tobago then gets a share of the income derived from the oil and gas.

By loose definition the tourism (prospects) and its oil and gas (plays) and the national fisheries collective, all together form the Trinidad and Tobago’ blue economy¹. The problem looking foward is, pressure to reduce use of fossil-based fuels will result in Trinidad and Tobago losing income; a major share of its Gross Domestic Product.

Tobago by virtue of being the smaller geography of the twin island state, may choose to see this ‘clean’ version of the future as a chance to contribute to GDP: As it does those have nice waters, fantastic beaches and great fishing grounds.

How good a chance though? Objectively speaking the political will to do what is required seems missing. Take the Buccoo Reef Marine Park. The power of the Park’s office is severely limited due to lack of funding, hence staff and equipment, but on top of all that, the regulatory structure - non-toothy legislation, is a major contributor to actions that cause damage to the marine reserve.

Concomitantly environmental conditions at Buccoo’s [Marine Park] at this time are in a deep state of failure. Poaching (parrot fish, grouper, snapper and other juvenile pelagics) is rampant - which on a reef system already under stress due to acidification, human sourced pollution and record breaking water temperatures - today presents the perfect storm scenario for reef destruction.

The socio economic environment behind the high water mark does not help either. As jobs/income diminish, people are using the proximity of the marine park as a hustle. Party music - a major draw for people flocking to see what once was (the reef) has all but chased away bird-life, is impacting the park’s seagrass beds, and generally putting a lot of people on an ecosystem that has long been compromised.

Are solutions on tap? Nature in the Buccoo Marine Park can rebound - offering that great future we spoke about up top. In 2013 the Institute of Marine Affairs was commissioned by the Tobago House of Assembly to draw up a management plan for the reef/lagoon ecosystem. The resulting document - titled the Buccoo Reef Managment Plan 2013 was handed over in that year.

A key recommendation of the plan was the formation of a marine park management committee. Which saw the formation of an interim group comprised of 14 (or thereabouts) key stakeholders. That committee - the vaunted Buccoo Reef Management Committee met for over the next 11 years.

Of the BRMC’s nine solid recommendations only two has seen the light of day. First; signage (2 signs. One at Buccoo one at Gibson Jetty and now very faded) Second; employment of a park manager. The other seven supportive steps weren’t entered into rendering both signs and manager useless.

Upshot? A future where oil and gas can no longer fuel the national economy - that is, bankroll Tobago infrastructure and workforce. A future where a viable economy based on nice waters, fantastic beaches and great fishing grounds is realised.