Submitted by Looking Glass
We were told that after the 2006 Hague Tribunal Barbados/Trinidad Maritime dispute the BLP decided to go ahead with an Offshore Exploration and Production Program. About 70.000 square kilometres were divided into strips and oil companies were invited to explore the waters off the Northeast coast. There is no oil within our Exclusive Economic Zone.
The fact that there is no oil within the waters of our Exclusive Economic Zone leaves one to conclude that the BLP’s intention to accommodate oil drilling there was a bad pipe dream. Yes there is oil on the Rock but how much remains unknown. The oil is located in and around the heavily populated centre of the island. Grantley Adams and Errol Barrow said no to the oil company the current PM has accommodated (About Rising Prices and Oil). Fortunately the drilling there if/when started is likely to be short-lived.
Yes Guyanahas facilitated offshore oil drilling in part of the oil vein that extends into Venezuela. However the drilling is within its Exclusive Economic Zone. Given that no oil exists in our waters were we hoping for international jurisdiction to delimit the area thereby making it accessible to others in the region?
Related Link: Drill Darcy Drill
The UN Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFA) April 2006 release of our response to the fishing dispute with Trinidadsheds light on the matter. “We welcomed today’s Award of the arbitral tribunal established under part XV of the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea in relation to the fisheries and boundaries dispute between Trinidad and Tobago … The Award confirmed our maritime rights under international law … “safeguards right to its outer continental shelf beyond 200 miles,” and that a submission would be presented to the UN to “establish its jurisdiction over the area…”
Every country has an Exclusive Economic Zone which I think amounts to 7 miles of surrounding sea. In seems the Award was conveniently interpreted to mean that Trinidadhad no jurisdiction to limit to delimit its maritime boundaries. In fact it recommended that in accordance with tradition we should be allowed to fish within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Trinidad. Part XV of the UN Convention does not give us the right to do so. The Arbitral Tribunal (Hague 2006) held it “lacked jurisdiction to render a substantive decision about a fisheries regime to apply inside Trinidad and Tobago Exclusive Economic Zone,” and that countries have both right and jurisdiction over their maritime boundaries.
That said the 70.000 square kilometres set aside for exploration would have to be within our Exclusive Economic Zone where there is no oil. What we have is fish galore offConsettBaywhich aUScompany (“related” to theMerricksandLong Beach) was about to harvest until theUKintervened. How come we never thought of developing a fishing industry? It would have been cheaper, under our control and much more beneficial.
About one comment in the above article. According to the observing Darcy Boyce cannot be associated with effectiveness, accountability, performance or even charisma. A food store clerk who left high school with only a birth certificate is hardly equipped to identify or determine performance and or effectiveness. Mr. Boyce is one of the most equipped and qualified souls ever to grace the Senate. Elected members of Parliament not Senators make the law. Given that we have to “rely on the minister or Prime Minister to cough up information,” any response by Mr. Boyce however vague should be appreciated. By the way is Darcy Boyce really a Minister? More on comments and observations next time.
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