Copyright trinidadexpress
Fisherfolk along Tri-ni-dad’s western coastline are supporting the pre-sence of a United States warship which docks today in local waters. When the Sunday Express visited the fishing community, a number of fishermen said they have not been fishing, out of fear. Others said they were not bothered by the heightened US military activity in the Caribbean and are standing in support of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s decision to work with the US, saying they believe this kind of partnership is in the country’s best interest. The Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs on Thursday announced that the USS Gravely—an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer—will visit Trinidad and Tobago from today, mooring in Port of Spain. The ship is one of at least three of its kind (including the USS Jason Dunham and Sampson) that were deployed as part of the US military build--up in the Caribbean since September 2. It has been used to conduct counter-narcotics patrols, maritime surveillance, and escort missions. Arleigh Burke-class des-troyers contain advanced radar and missile systems that provide both defensive and offensive capabilities. The Express spoke with several fisherfolk in Carenage on Friday. They had mixed views on the presence of the US warship docking here. Carenage fisherman Chris-topher Calder said the Prime Minister was not to be blamed for the warship being deployed to T&T. “When you are talking about the warship situation or the Venezuela situation, I want T&T to know that this started not under Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar. This started under Dr Keith Rowley. “I will feel safe with the warship here. There will be no war. People have to realise that it is not normal fishing boats that the US is blowing up. When you catch a boat in the open waters with five and ten engines and they are not stopping for nobody, it is the drones will take them out of the water. “So I will give the Prime Minister a chance to do what she has to do. She is protecting us all. The US is coming here to protect the sovereignty of T&T. If we do not have Donald Trump to protect us, who will protect us?” Calder asked. Kevon James, who comes from a family of fishermen, said he is fearful to ply his trade. “I have been a fisherman in Carenage all my life. I grew up under my grandfather. We used to share fish in the village, and right now, it’s really hard for us. We are very uncomfortable. “Right now, we haven’t been fishing for the longest while. I fish with my cousins, and right now, our boats are parked up getting moss. It has been days since we went out to fish because my wife is afraid I might lose my life. “I sell a little roast fish now and then. It is really uncomfortable for me and my family, and most fishermen around here in Carenage feel the same way. It is a very serious issue, and they are taking this thing for a joke, but it is very serious. Fishing is our life. We have no other income,” James said. Another fisherman, who gave his name as K Williams, said he doesn’t feel uneasy. “Kamla knows what she is doing, and she needs to do what is ne-cessary,” he said. The Sunday Express also visited the T&T Sailing Association and the T&T Yachting Association and spoke with several yacht owners. One yacht owner who gave his name as CW, from Chile, said he feels safe. “I have been in and out of this country for many years, and I don’t have a problem with any-thing. I feel safe and I will continue to feel safe regardless,” he said. Another yacht owner said the Caribbean will be a lot safer with US warships keeping watch. “The US has a right to come here, especially if it means that it is going to make this part of the Caribbean a lot safer,” he said. Sailor Henry Michael said: “I don’t feel uneasy because these American warships are coming for training. This is not a war per se, but I follow the experts on YouTube, and they are saying that if Trump is going to attack Venezuela, it is going to be...by the end of the month. I have a funny feeling it will happen before the end of the month. I don’t know what will happen, but I am not scared. I am not moving my boat; I feel safe,” Michael said. But activist and cor-porate secretary of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) Gary Aboud believes the public is being put at risk by the Government’s decision to allow the USS Gravely here. In a WhatsApp exchange with the Sunday Express, Aboud said, “Any right-thinking person will be in a state of terror that we have invited (a) military warship with nuclear warheads to berth in our port. Why are we killing people without proper judicial process? The Prime Minister is coming across as a bully without any sense.” He continued, “As a senior counsel, she should have discretion and an appreciation for the law and its enforcement. To buy into this narco-terrorism jargon is sending us down a rabbit hole into the mud of a mangrove; it is simply not right. Everybody is afraid. Where is the integrity if you are killing boys on the sea? The nation is being terrorised.” Aboud said he doesn’t believe US President Donald Trump is “chasing drugs”. “Every single day there are smugglers, and they bring wild meat, lamb, goat, duck, turkey and beef, and they get three times the price in Trinidad. So, it is not just drugs alone they are bringing. About 95% of the drugs go to North America, so Donald Trump is not chasing drugs,” he opined. Aboud said the decision could have far--reaching effects on this country’s image as a tourist destination. “We are a peaceful, fun-loving Caribbean island. Which tourist in their right mind will come to Trinidad for Car-nival? Which visitor will want to come home?” he asked.
