In a statement on Tuesday, Aboud said the EC’s decision to issue a red card to Trinidad and Tobago underscored the critical importance of sustainable fisheries management.
Aboud said, “Our government has failed to address serious shortcomings and while we wave flags and celebrate Republic Day, Trinidad and Tobago is now classified as a non-cooperating country because of our archaic 107-year-old fisheries legislation, the oldest on the planet.
“Since 2016, Trinidad and Tobago has been warned about its open-access fishery by the EC and was yellow-carded. Despite seven years of warning, the Fisheries Bill has been disregarded. Today, our government threatens us to pass this Bill ‘whip whap’ in Parliament, without consultation.”
For more than 20 years, the FFOS and its partners have been lobbying for advanced legislation he said.
Aboud said FFOS has been appealing for a copy of the proposed Fisheries Bill as they were promised that they would receive it on September 7.
“We have argued that there are 82 landing sites, and multiple registered and unregistered fishery organizations and each and every one of our primary stakeholders must be consulted,” he said.
In order for the proposed law to be successful, FFOS must be consulted and included.
“We will not sit idly and allow any dictator to railroad our right to participate and protect our fishery, our communities or our livelihoods,” Aboud said.
He renewed his call for consultations and reviewing of the proposed bill.
