Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS), through its Corporate Secretary Gary Aboud, publicly criticised the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for what it described as a delayed and inadequate disclosure of an offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Paria. According to the newspaper report, the spill reportedly occurred on May 1 but was only publicly confirmed by Trinidad and Tobago authorities on May 10, after Venezuelan authorities first raised the alarm. FFOS stated that the public, fisherfolk, coastal communities and mariners were not promptly informed by the Ministry of Energy or Heritage Petroleum. The organisation called on the Government to disclose the exact location of the spill, the cause, clean-up responsibility, and all reports connected to the incident. FFOS also questioned why the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan was not publicly activated and argued that the delayed communication undermined public trust and environmental accountability.
This event raises concerns about government transparency and accountability during an environmental emergency. Civil society groups, fisherfolk, coastal communities, the media, and the wider public were affected because delayed information limited their ability to understand the risks, respond quickly, and demand accountability.