ECOCIDE

Trinidad and Tobago Succeed in Arresting Tug Behind Mystery Oil Spill

The barge being towed by the tug capsized and grounded starting a large oil spill off Tobago (TEMA)

Published Oct 24, 2024 4:55 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Eight months after a massive oil spill from an overturned barge on the coast of Tobago, government officials confirmed that they have arrested the tug believed to have caused the oil spill and filled a massive financial claim. The island nation’s Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced the development reading out a statement from the Attorney General during a session of the country’s senate on Wednesday.

“The arrest proceedings were filed in Angola after a relentless pursuit of the Solo Creed by the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs with the assistance and support of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the Maritime Division of the Ministry of Works and Transport,” said Imbert.

The tug had been the subject of an international hunt that began shortly after a fuel barge capsized and washed ashore in February. Initially, the authorities thought a vessel had capsized but with the help of a broad range of resources identified the barge as the Gulfstream and later the tug that had been towing the barge. The circumstances behind the incident are still unknown and ownership of the tug remains unclear. The Solo Creed reports it is registered in Tanzania.

The arrest was ordered by the court in Angola to allow the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to protect its claim for the damage and recovery effort. The tug Solo Creed was arrested in Luanda, Angola, and will not be allowed to leave that jurisdiction unless security is lodged to secure the interest of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A preliminary claim of $244 million has been entered as the Finance Ministry says it is still tabulating the cost of the spill. 

The tug disappeared after the incident having turned off its AIS transmissions. Reports began to appear in May that it had been located in Angola. Officials in Trinidad & Tobago moved to investigate while asking Angola to detain the vessel.

The claims are many times the value of the tug which was built in 1976. It has been sold several times and changed names with some databases reflecting the ship as Ranger. It was believed to have been sold in 2023. The tug departed Panama in January and made a stop in Aruba and according to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard satellite images showed the tug towing an object approaching the area around Tobago on February 4. They were able to track the vessel into the country’s territorial waters, but eventually lost radar contact with both vessels. The oil slick and capsized barge Gulfstream were first spotted on February 7. It took till August to remove the barge which was towed to Trinidad for salvage.

The government said in a statement it will continue to pursue all legal proceedings in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere to hold the owners and or persons interested in the vessel accountable for the extensive damage caused to the environment of Tobago.

Additionally, the government continues to pursue from the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund the recovery of money expended during the clean-up project.