Chief Secretary Farley Augustine says the island remains a safe tourist destination, despite another marine accident at Pigeon Point beach.
Two boats collided around 5.43 pm on Sunday, leaving nine people, including four foreigners, injured. Five victims remain hospitalised, with two being transferred to Trinidad for surgeries. The incident comes five months after seven-year-old Angelica Jogie was struck and killed by a jet ski while bathing at Pigeon Point beach.
Augustine described the latest incident as unfortunate, but argued the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) oversight remains limited legally.
He said the THA has seen the strong public reaction and will continue to advocate firmly for legislation to manage the marine park effectively.
“I want you to know that Tobago remains extremely safe. I want you to know the THA does not support a free-for-all at all,” he said.
He said THA has implemented policies since it was previously sued over a 2008 boating accident at Pigeon Point.
“We put up the signs, we’ve been warning people, we’ve been publicly talking about it, but because the THA does not have law-making functions, the truth is the police does not respond on our policy to actually hold people to account.”
He said there are many instances where Pigeon Point Heritage Park management flagged unsafe activity at the park, but there was no response from authorities.
“We have to depend on other agencies of state who are not always willing to support or sometime they don’t have the capacity to support, including Coast Guard, who might tell yuh they have no boat, which is a normal thing.”
On the delay in passage of the Tobago Marine Park Bill, passed by the THA in April, Augustine said it was sent to Parliament just before its July recess.
“It will come up in this first quarter in the Parliament. Once that is passed, then we would have the legal teeth to police the very policies that we have.”
Augustine noted, however, that stakeholders also bear a responsibility to uphold the regulations, as state agencies cannot prevent individuals from acting recklessly.
“When I stress that we have to follow rules down there, there is a particular village idiot saying to ignore the THA policy, do what yuh want.”
He warned stakeholders, “Yuh doing yuh own a disservice. Yuh mashing up your own industry.”
He said the THA will continue to assist the affected victims and praised the emergency response from authorities. The health sector has been commended by Dr Ian Ramnarine, chief surgeon, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, who just happened to be on the beach at the time of the incident. Ramnarine said lifeguards and medical personnel responded efficiently and effectively to the mass-casualty event. Accident victim Massi Sanchez was also high in praise for the rescue response as well as the medical care at Scarborough hospital.
