Category Archives: Caribbean

In our life BK (Before Kids) Puerto Rico was the go-to vacation spot for me and my husband, Ken. We loved the Latin culture, Spanish language, and combination of city life and beautiful beaches. Every time we stepped off the short (three hours from New York!) direct flight, we marveled at how the friendly lifestyle and warm salsa beat of the island engulfed us, even though we were still in the United States. (Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, so you don't need to bring a passport or exchange money, and with some carriers, you can use your cell phone with no roaming charges). Ken and I were so fond of our getaways that when our son, Aidan, was just two, we decided to take the plunge and try a family vacation on the island. Our only question: Would Aidan like La Isla Encantada (the Enchanted Island) as much as we did?We needn't have worried. As it turns out, Puerto Rico is a wonderful place for kids. In Old San Juan, we discovered the grassy slopes of El Morro, where kite flying with a view of the Atlantic is a delight for all ages. And we were amused that every abuelita (grandma) in San Juan seemed to feel it her duty to pinch our son's chubby cheeks and offer him a sweet.On that visit, we made the San Juan area our base and spent time splashing at the beach, floating in the pool, and visiting Old San Juan. As Aidan has gotten older, we've rented a car and taken him to our favorite spots farther afield on the Connecticut-size island. We love to hear him trying out his Spanish, and locals are always happy to do the "Cmo est?" "Muy bien, gracias, y tu?" ("How are you?" "Very good, thank you, and you?") drill with him, which we practice in advance with help from Little Pim language tapes.Aidan is now in middle school, and the three of us have traveled to Puerto Rico five times. I think we finally have it down to a (messy) science.Read More: https://www.parents.com/fun/vacation/ideas/our-easy-kid-friendly-puerto-rico-vacation/

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Caribbean 2020: Best of Caribbean Tourism - Tripadvisor

FORT MYERS

The development potential is increasing for a large area of showers and storms located over the western Caribbean Sea. This system has become much better organized since yesterday, and a tropical depression could form over the next few days as it moves slowly northwest.

The track of this disturbance has shifted westward and its now anticipated to move near western Cuba this weekend and slowly across the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by early next week.

Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall will be possible over portions of the Cayman Islands, Cuba, southern Florida and the Keys, and the northwestern Bahamas through Sunday.

Right now, the National Hurricane Center is giving it a 70% chance of development.

Otherwise, Hurricane Epsilon is moving away from Bermuda. The Category 1 hurricane maintains maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

Epsilon will continue to generate large swells impacting Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, the Leeward Islands, the United States east coast, and Atlantic Canada through late this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Locally, a few showers will be possible Friday, especially in the afternoon and evening. High temperatures will peak above average, in the upper 80s to lower 90s.

Over the weekend, were tracking an increase in tropical moisture across Southwest Florida as we monitor the progression of the trough of low pressure in the Caribbean. The Weather Authority expects enhanced rain chances, mainly south of the Caloosahatchee River on Saturday and mainly inland on Sunday.

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High chance of tropical formation in the Caribbean - Wink News

The U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown will be auctioning one truck bed, computer equipment, toners, household furniture & appliances, etc

PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTION FOR EACH ITEM BEFORE YOU BID.

Note that all bids (local currency BBD) must be placed exclusively online.

https://www.32auctions.com/NOV-03-2020

VIEWING:All items can be viewed on Friday October 30 between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm ONLY!

Bidding willclose on Tuesday, November 3rd at 3:30pm LOCAL TIME.

All property are sold AS IS NO REFUNDS NO EXCHANGES

Once theauction closes,Winners MUST pay via the bank ONLY!

NO cash/in person payments will be accepted. Successfulbiddersshoulddeposit/transferthe total amount into the Embassys bank account and provide a receiptand valid identification on collection.

Bank Account info: First Caribbean Intl Bank (FCIB), account number: 1000092245.

There are no refunds orexchanges,and everything is sold as is.

Inquires? Please email:bridgetownauctions@state.gov

By U.S. Embassy Bridgetown | 27 October, 2020 | Topics: Press Releases

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US Embassy Online Auction - US Embassy in Barbados

Dasheen is among a family of root crops or ground provisions grown on the islands of the English-speaking Caribbean, dating back to the early 16th century. Also known as taro, blue food and kalo, historians say that the crop arrived to the Caribbean aboard Trans-Atlantic slave ships, along with African food culture and agro-ecological knowledge.

Stories are told of African slaves foraging for the large, elephant ear leaves of the dasheen plant to make a stew called callaloo or in cassava fufu, a popular West African staple. Steeped in the trials of a colonial past, dasheen is one of a handful of crops that made their way into diets as a product of resourcefulness and making do with little.

Dasheen

Given its historical roots, the starchy tuber has not traditionally been associated with fine dining. Nor has it typically received any degree of noteworthy acclaim, despite its influence on local culture, and substantive nutritional, environmental and economic value.

But with the advent of more conscious eating patterns, the trendiness of farm to fork dining and an upsurge in demand for authentic culinary experiences and indigenous foods, the tuber has been experiencing a global resurgence.

Callaloo, the national dish of Trinidad & Tobago and Dominica, has become the most common recipe associated with dasheen leaves, and is enjoyed throughout the region and around the world. Introduced to a global audience in the 1980s, as one of Dr Heathcliff Huxtables favourite foods in The Cosby Show, callaloo is thought to be an adaptation of a West African stew called palaver or palaya sauce and is traditionally served with a protein such as crab, salt fish or oxtail.

Callaloo soup at Cayman Cabana restaurant in the Cayman Islands

Whether at The Gazebo at Jamaicas Goldeneye Resort in Ocho Rios, where dasheen grows on the propertys 2,500 acre farm, or at Miss Lily's in the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Dubai, where it is stuffed in Escovitch style steamed Sea Bream no Caribbean restaurant in the Diaspora or at home is complete without dasheen on the menu.

The reason for this is evident in the roots unique and multifaceted value to the region.

Culinary and Nutritional Value

From sauces, ice creams and liqueurs to pizzas, salads and soups, it is easy to make a variety of food items with the versatile tuber. The corm resembles a potato, which means that it can be fried, steamed, boiled, roasted or mashed and the leaves are reminiscent of spinach and can be boiled or steamed. The root can even be pulverised and converted into flour.

Dasheen has a higher nutritional value than most other roots and tubers and is said to have analgesic, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The root is high in fibre, and is rich in vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B6, C, E, potassium and manganese. The leaves are high in Vitamin A and C and both corms and leaves contain high-quality protein and are excellent sources of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and iron.

At The Aquarium restaurant in Grenada, Chef Lavon makes his famous Callaloo Cannelloni by boiling down the leaves of the dasheen and creating a juicy callaloo, cream, cheese and steamed coconut filling seasoned with onions, pepper, garlic and ginger which he stuffs inside cannelloni pasta tubes.

Luigi and Christina Moxam, of Cayman Cabana restaurant in the Cayman Islands are advocates of locavore or farm to fork culture, and fresh dasheen is one of their favourite ingredients.

Callaloo tortellini at Cayman Cabana restaurant in the Cayman islands

Callaloo garden rice, callaloo soup, callaloo and feta spanokopita, callaloo tortellini You name it, its either been on our menu or still is, says Christina Moxam. We are passionate about sharing the sustainable and eco-conscious benefits of eating fresh local ingredients and with its spinach-like flavour, local availability and high nutritional content, callaloo is one of our favourite foods.

Economic Value

From the perspective of farmers, dasheen is economically ideal. The crop requires few inputs but offers high rewards. As a high yielding crop, typical harvests of 12 to 14 tonnes per hectare can be expected when rainfall levels are high.

In an interview with the Jamaica Gleaner, a dasheen farmer recently revealed that an investment in 1,000 dasheen suckers would yield 3,000 pounds of dasheen (each sucker will give three pounds) at a market price of over $2,050 USD a significant sum of money by any standards in Jamaica.

I am expecting a good profit, push me far ahead, the farmer said.

Globally, demand for the crop has increased by almost 12 per cent over the past few years, creating extra-regional opportunities for trade. (Taro Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020-2025)") In countries such as Dominica, where 1,288 hectares are reserved for dasheen cultivation, with yields of more than 96,000 hg/ha, the crop is a critical export commodity. (FAOSTAT, 2018) In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, dasheen farming is omnipresent across the rural terrain, making it an important strategic commodity.

Dasheen is also a contributor to culinary tourism. Those on the global food festival circuit are likely to be familiar with the Blue Food Festival in Tobago, where patrons revel in a celebration of all-things dasheen. The popular Tobagonian event has taken place annually for more than two decades and was rated by CNN as one of the worlds best food festivals.

Environmental Value

Dasheens ability to withstand extreme weather and support soil health and circular food culture makes it a beneficial crop for the environment; in its cultivation and production the crop has a little to no impact on water, land, forest, air or soil.

Dasheen is a herbaceous perennial that typically takes 7 to 12 months to fully mature. This means that the soil in which the crop grows can remain undisturbed for months before harvesting, which is good for maintaining high levels of soil carbon, promoting soil health and climate change mitigation.

Given that the entire plant, from leaves to roots, can be utilised in cooking, there is minimal post-harvest waste, which means that the plant carries a low carbon footprint and has great value from the perspective of food security.

Dasheen is also a climate resilient plant, with an ability to flourish during heavy floods. There are also varieties of the dasheen plant that are resistant to drought and high salinity soil.

In 2016, concerns surrounding the lack of genetic variety of dasheen in countries such as St. Vincent, Jamaica and Dominica resulted in the introduction of 50 new genotypes of the crop under a project funded by the EU. Continued support of this nature would be critical, in order to boost the biodiversity of the crop in the Caribbean, and enhance its climate resilience.

The Way Forward

Almost 5,000 miles away from the Caribbean, in Hawaii, dasheen or kalo as it is called, is regarded with utmost reverence. Referred to as the staff of life, it is used for medicinal purposes with the belief that it has the greatest life force of all foods. Dasheen is revered for its nutritional, environmental, economic and even spiritual properties.

Given its myriad benefits, the Caribbean has also begun to take notice.

In Jamaica, under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries' (MICAF) Production Incentive Programme, dasheen has been targeted as a strategic crop for development, with an objective of expanding local hectares under cultivation from 21 to 30.

Under this programme, the islands 230 dasheen farmers experienced a four per cent increase in production during the 2019-2020 year, and the ministry anticipates a yield of approximately 378 tonnes in 2020-2021.

In October, Jamaicas Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Floyd Green as part of his World Food Day presentation, hosted Chefs Peter Ivey and Patrice Harris-Henry from hunger charity, Mission:FoodPossible, in a cooking demonstration of dishes made with the dasheen plant. The event was followed by a social media campaign created by the charity to elevate the brand of what it referred to as an MVP or Most Valuable Produce.

In a region struggling with a food import bill worth billions of dollars, rapidly increasing non-communicable diseases and limited local food production, it would be advantageous for the countries of the Caribbean to adopt a similar sense of reverence for the dasheen plant as the people of Hawaii.

The gradual mainstreaming of dasheen has been a step in the right direction but governments must place more emphasis on this blue food and treat it as the Caribbeans other blue economy. To make dasheen production and consumption a strategic priority to raise the brand profile of this loved but tragically underutilised crop would have significant implications for health, food security, the economy and the environment of the Caribbean region.

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Dasheen Plant Could Be The Root Of Caribbean Development - Forbes

The Caribbean Public Health Agency, CARPHA, is eager to get the world travelling back to the Caribbean. With the health and safety of travellers at the forefront, the release of its innovative Travellers Health Program (THP) is longed for. Supported by a number of health and safety standards and policies, the THP provides an early monitoring and response system to public health issues which is currently impacting on tourism. With these measures in place, Caribbean tourism is steaming past other destinations to get travel back to what the world once knew.

Known for its tropical climate, vibrant cultures and unique eco-tourism, the Caribbean is one of the worlds most sought out destinations. However, this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted tourism and continues to pose ongoing public health threats. CARPHA has developed Proactive COVID-19 Health Measures for Tourism, a Caribbean Travellers Health Mobile App and a Traveller's Health Assurance Stamp, all aimed at building travellers assurance and resilience as well as to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and other public health threats to both residents and visitors.

To ensure a united, harmonised approach to these COVID-19 measures, CARPHA has partnered with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center (GTRCMC) to form the COVID-19 Tourism Task Force.

The Proactive COVID-19 Health Measures includes utilizing the early warning and response travel/tourism information system to capture illnesses in real time and thereby reduce spread and reputational damage.

Certified training in COVID-19 health measures for the hospitality sector (including testing, masks, social distancing, hand hygiene, sanitation & response from visitor arrival to departure), guidelines and checklist and hospitality health safety and environmental operational standards.

The Caribbean Traveller's Health Mobile App provides travel health information by each travel destination. This information is inclusive of vaccinations, health care facilities, accommodation listings, health alerts of current public health issues, COVID-19 proactive/prevention measures and unique travel requirements by country (testing, health screening, pre-approval and tracking). Being the first of its kind, the Caribbean travellers health information repository is designed for both travellers and health and tourism stakeholders.

Linking directly to CARPHAs COVID-19 situation reports, guidelines and the THP, the app also identifies by name, accommodation and other hospitality facilities within a destination that has been awarded the Caribbean Traveller's Health Assurance stamp. In 2021 this will be extended to include passenger ships which have been awarded the stamp. CARPHA is uniquely resourced and positioned to provide reliable travellers health information of this detail and magnitude. The app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The Caribbeans Travellers Health Assurance Stamp for Healthier Safer Tourism (HST) is a recognition award for tourism entities and destinations which are implementing the recommended proactive COVID-19 health monitoring and safety measures. Caribbean travellers now have measurable and verifiable health assurances for accommodations (hotels, guesthouses) and services (transport, tour operators) which have been awarded the CARPHA-CTO-CHTA-HST Stamp.

Hospitality facilities awarded the HST Stamp will be listed as a preferred safer option on Caribbean Traveller's Health Mobile App and later will be listed on CARPHA, CTO and CHTA websites, with links to regional and international health and tourism stakeholders.

The Caribbean Traveller's Health App and Health Assurance Stamp will be launched on November 5th.

Continued here:

Reopening The Caribbean and launch of new app for tourists - Travel Daily News International

WMAR

As of 3pm this afternoon, the 11th hurricane and 27th named storm of the season developed in the Caribbean. Zeta, a Category 1 hurricane, is poised to move over the northern Yucatan Peninsula later his evening/tonight, move over the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, then approach the northern Gulf Coast in the watch area on Wednesday.

WMAR

Speaking of watches-- a tropical storm watch is in effect for two areas:***Mississippi/Alabama border to Okaloosa/Walton County Line Florida ***West of Morgan City to Intracoastal City Louisiana

A hurricane watch is in effect for the following areas:***Morgan City Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama border ***Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans

WMAR

After landfall, the storm will begin moving to the northeast....which will bring rain chances our way by midweek. We'll begin to see showers moving our way overnight Wednesday--and thanks to a cold front's timing-- we'll see showers lingering through Friday. Cooler air will begin moving in behind the front, so the showers on Friday will be a "cold rain".

WMAR

WMAR

There is a little uncertainty regarding how much rain we will see in our area from the combination of these two systems. Guidance suggests we will see significant rain totals across the area. Looks like most areas will pick up about two inches of rain, but there could be isolated pockets that total a little more if we see training.

WMAR

#staytuned

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Record-tying storm develops in the Caribbean - wmar2news.com

Calling the Caribbean the most tourism-dependent region in the world isnt hyperbole. In the Bahamas, for instance, tourism represents an astonishing 70% of national GDP. Most developed islands in the region are accustomed to welcoming up to six cruise ships per day, packed with thousands of tourists. In 2019, the region at large reeled in $59 billion in revenue from tourism alone. That was up from $49 billion in 2014, as competitive low-cost carriers and an increase in overnight options made travel easier than ever in the back half of the 2010s.

After a crippling year in which cruises and flights ground to a halt and hotels were either closed or remained 95% vacant for months on end, tropical destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America are slowly coming back to life, and looking for new ways to attract would-be visitors from the United States. But as has become typical with travel infrastructure in the age of COVID-19, the new rules and regulations vary from country to country.

Testing, at the least, is a big theme. In order to travel to the Bahamas, any visitor over the age of 10 needs to submit negative test results from a coronavirus test taken with five days of arrival, plus apply for a health visa from the government. Depending on the length of your stay, the Bahamas will test you again while youre there. In Costa Rica, travelers must complete an online form proving theyre healthy to fly, and then buy local travel insurance in case they contract coronavirus while visiting. To visit Jamaica or Panama, meanwhile, travelers must fill out affidavits ahead of time confirming negative tests.

Certain airlines like American have tried to streamline this whole process, offering preflight COVID-19 testing for international travelers. After the health questionnaires and tests are completed, countries are relying on usual public health protocols like social distancing, mask-wearing, sanitation inspections of hotels and restaurants, and limited capacity on boats or in bars. But theyre also counting on the great outdoors.

While American cities are currently buying up space heaters and parks are shutting down for the long winter ahead, the Caribbean and Latin America are stressing their status as a year-round outdoor option. The concept checks out: head down here for the beaches, jungles and waterfalls, where social distancing comes naturally. Its an attractive pitch, and favorable rates from resorts will only make it more enticing. But a monster second wave in the States could stand in the way of that vision. Many Americans had already written off traveling this year, and the country set a new record for daily coronavirus cases last Friday.

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What Americans Should Expect as the Caribbean Reopens to Tourism - InsideHook

FORT MYERS

After becoming our 4th major hurricane of the 2020 season yesterday, Hurricane Epsilon continues to weaken Thursday. The Category 1 storm is currently located about 190 miles east-southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

Winds will continue to subside in Bermuda as Epsilon moves well east of the island. The Tropical Storm Warning has been discontinued for that reason.

Elsewhere, all eyes are on the western Caribbean this morning! A trough of low pressure is producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms near Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cuba.

Development of this system is unlikely to occur in the near-term as it passes near western Cuba and the Straits of Florida. However, by late this weekend or early next week, some slow development is possible while the system moves toward the western Atlantic.

Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible over portions of Cuba, South Florida, and the Bahamas through early next week. Right now, the National Hurricane Center is giving it a 30% chance of formation.

Locally, well see some isolated rain into Thursday evening with a partly cloudy to mostly cloudy sky.

Friday should be an even drier day, with just a quick stray shower or two in the afternoon. Daytime highs will run slightly above average, with temperatures set to top off in the upper 80s.

Over the weekend, moisture from the same trough of low pressure weve been monitoring in the Caribbean will pass to the south of us, bringing us enhanced rain chances for areas particularly south of the Caloosahatchee River. North of that, we should be drier with only isolated rain.

Drier air will begin moving in Sunday and kick off a stretch of drier weather thatll continue through next week! Expect only isolated rain beginning Sunday and over the next several days after that.

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Epsilon continues to weaken; another disturbance to monitor in Caribbean - Wink News

The list of hotel reopenings grows week by week as properties eye the coming peak season and ready their accommodations for, hopefully, what will be a steady stream of guests.

Here's the latest:

Bahamas:Warwick Paradise Island is set to reopen its doors on Nov. 21 with all-inclusive rates from $299 per room, per night, double, in an island-view room. The resort charges a $10 per person, per night resort fee not included in the room rate but is inclusive of the 12% VAT. Commission is 20% for rack rate reservations, 15% for promotional and seasonal packages and 10% for special government, military, AARP, AAA and senior traveler rates (65 and over).

Melia Nassau Beach reopens Nov. 22.

St. Martin: The reopening date for Secrets St. Martin has been pushed back to Nov. 13 from mid-October.

St. Barts:Le Toiny reopens Nov. 1; Villa Marie Hotel reopens Nov. 20; the Hotel Christopher reopens Nov. 23; and Le Sereno is scheduled for Dec. 17. Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth plans to open in the spring after being closed since Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Jamaica:Melia Braco Village and Beaches Ocho Rios both plan to reopen Dec. 18.

Anguilla:Zemi Beach House plans to reopen Dec. 14.

Turks and Caicos:Beaches Turks and Caicos is reopening Nov. 18.

Barbados:Fairmont Royal Pavilion is scheduled for Nov. 1.

Curacao:Dreams Curacao's new reopening date is Nov. 13, changed from Nov. 5.

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More hotels get ready for reopening in the Caribbean - Travel Weekly

Drone footage of the listing Venezuelan oil tanker, FSO Nabarima, taken on 16 October 2020, showing ... [+] a worsening tilt as more water leaks on board

A state of environmental emergency is being called for by fishermen in Trinidad and Tobago over a sinking oil tanker with 1.3 million barrels of oil.

If the oil spills, it would threaten the entire Southern Caribbean. At 264 meters in length and a capacity of 1.4 million barrels, the spill would be five times worse than the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989, which was the worst in history until the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon.

Officials have been criticized for allowing the situation to evolve for three months without taking sufficient action. The Nabarima is a Venezuelan oil tanker but part-operated by Italian energy giant, $55 billion ENI, and has been caught up in US sanctions since disputed elections questioned the legitimacy of the Venezuelan President. The tilting had been of concern since it was first noticed in July and crews later discovered water leaking on board. The situation has gotten progressively worse since then.

It was only last week that a representative of the fishing community in Trinidad, Gary Aboud, was able to get close enough to the heavily listing Venezuelan oil tanker to show first hand how serious the risk is, especially with the Caribbean in a particularly active 2020 hurricane season that is only due to end by November 30.

Combined with drone footage to show the angle of tilting, his two and a half minute video (link below) shows the risk that poor weather would have on the tanker, and what he highlights as a lack of urgency by the Trinidad and Tobago Government or the international community to act.

With the oil spill in Mauritius in August, it was the UN shipping regulator, the International Maritime Organization, who sent representatives to co-ordinate the Wakashio oil spill efforts for the United Nations but they were widely seen to have exacerbated the oil spill crisis. Ironically, the news from the Caribbean comes as the IMO is debating oil and emission targets for ships in London this week, amid criticism that environmental standards are being watered down by this UN agency.

Gary Aboud, Corporate Secretary of Trinidad and Tobago based environmental group, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, went to the site of the Nabarima, moored in Venezuelan waters, to highlight the risk posed to the over 50,000 fishermen of Trinidad and Tobago that rely on the sea, the potential long term ecological harm to species in this coral reef and biodiversity rich region, as well as the broader regional risk to the Caribbean given the direction of the currents and wind at this time of year.

4 Sep 2020: reports in the local press of Trinidad and Tobago six weeks ago showed the risk of the ... [+] Nabarima to the coastline of both Venezuela and Trinidad.

Reports from the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian had been calling for action since early September.

3 Oct 2019: Franklin Khan, Trinidad And Tobago's Minister of Energy in Moscow at the Russian Energy ... [+] Week 2019 international forum.

According to a spokesperson for Trinidad and Tobagos Energy Minister, Franklin Khan, who spoke to the Guardian on September 4, The [Trinidad and Tobago] Energy Ministry through the Venezuelan Embassy has offered any assistance, technical or logistical to the Government of Venezuela that it may require. Also, the Minister of Energy is in contact with his Venezuelan counterpart for further updates as they become available.

An emotional video by Gary Aboud first posted on September 7, six weeks ago, had highlighted the growing risk of the tilting oil tanker, combined with the ongoing hurricane season - the second most active on record.

7 Sep 2020: Gary Aboud shows that the currents in the Gulf of Paria pose a particular risk to the ... [+] coastlines of both Venezuela and Trinidad, with broader risk across the Southern Caribbean

The Nabarima has a capacity of 1.4 million barrels, and was abandoned without a crew by the Venezuelan state and a joint venture with Italian energy giant, ENI, following sanctions from the United States in late 2019.

There had been images and warnings about water coming on board when Venezuelan oil worker Eudis Girot first posted these on August 30. Eudis Girot is a tugboat captain for the Maritime Division of Venezuelas State Oil Company, PDVSA, and Executive Director of Venezuelas FUTPV Oil Workers Union. He has actively championed issues of poor worker conditions and environmental risk in Venezuela in the past.

These posts were then picked up by the New York Times NYT who reported on September 7 that the tanker had taken on 10 feet of water that had caused the tilt. At that time in early September, the Nabarima had a 5 degree tilt, and had sunken 14.5 meters at the waterline, with one side clearly visible out of the water - a sign of excess weight.

Six weeks later, Gary Aboud, whose footage this weekend was taken next to the tanker, showed that the angle of listing had increased to what he estimated was 25 degrees.

The 2020 hurricane season shows storms passing directly over the location of the slowly sinking ... [+] Nabarima

There have been 26 named storms so far for the 2020 hurricane season, making this the second highest on record, behind the 2005 season. The hurricane season ends on November 30.

With the prevailing currents and wind direction, an oil spill of this magnitude would threaten the entire Southern Caribbean for years to come.

This includes the major tourism hotspots such as Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The chain of islands and corals are part of a unique genetic coral reef system extending from Venezuela all the way along the Caribbean to the coast of Florida.

All the reefs in the Caribbean are connected and have genetically evolved from Trinidad and Tobago.

The coral reefs that originate from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago are foundational to the health of coral ecosystems across the entire Caribbean. Each island has a genetically unique set of corals that initially evolved from Trinidadian corals, and the ocean microbiome (the bacteria that grow around corals) are critical to give corals their color and life. Other coral systems in the Caribbean had been dependent on receiving nutrients and healthy bacteria from these source corals over thousands of years.

It is these bacteria that could be harmed by a major oil spill, leading to long term genetic damage to the already climate-stressed corals.

Oil spills and their harmful chemicals (like PAHs) cause long term genetic impact on coastal ecosystems, impacting gender balance of species and other parts of the genetic code that humans are only just understanding. This can lead to long term collapse of once healthy marine ecosystems, as has been seen elsewhere in the world.

The FSO Nabarima represents the fourth major oil spill from Venezuela in 2020, in addition to the ... [+] major oil spill off the coast of Brazil in 2019 from a leaking ship

If the oil tanker Nabarima were to disintegrate, this would be the fourth major oil spill from Venezuela in the past 3 months alone, and by far the worst. This is in addition to a major oil spill off the coast of Brazil in September last year from a ship that had refueled in Venezuela.

Venezuela has already been criticized for two major oil leaks in National Parks in the past two months alone, as well as ongoing air emission pollution. This comes amid growing concerns surrounding particular refineries in Venezuela run by state oil company, PDVSA.

The notorious El Palito refinery next to the biodiversity hotspot and Ramsar internationally protected Morrocoy National Park has been of particular concern to environmentalists. There are now reports that it suffered a fire on October 9 that has temporarily put it out of commission. Local engineers and activists have been concerned that the aging and under maintained network of pipelines around the refinery could also be falling into disrepair, and causing several leaks too. These leaks can easily be identified by satellite (especially Synthetic Aperture Radar which Finish company Iceye was able to provide to Mauritius and had proven very effective in the oil spill response).

A pipeline leak at the Cadron refinery to the West of the country led to an unknown amount of oil being released into the ocean last month too.

Early in August, a leak from a vessel was suspected for a leak in the biodiversity rich Moroccoy National Park that includes internationally protected Ramsar wetland mangrove forests.

Last September, oil from a vessel originating from Venezuela washed over 2000 tons of toxic ship oil along beaches in Brazil, prompting a local state of emergency to be declared.

10 March 2020: Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized by many members of the ... [+] international community as the country's rightful interim ruler, waves to supporters during a demonstration against the government of Nicols Maduro.

Venezuela has seen deteriorating human rights, social, economic and environmental conditions since disputed Presidential elections inon 20 May 2018. There was widespread allegations of voter fraud. The National Assembly declared Nicols Maduro an "usurper" of the presidency on the day ofhis second inauguration on 10 January 2019. Venezuelas Supreme Tribunal of Justicedeclared the National Assembly to be "unconstitutional." Presidential challenger, Juan Guaiddeclared that he was the acting president and took the presidential oath on 23 January 2019.

12 Mar 2020: the disputed Presidency of Nicolas Maduro, who announced a travel ban for travelers ... [+] flying in from Europe and Colombia and restricted gatherings and massive events in an attempt to stem the proliferation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Juan Guaid was recognized as Venezuela's acting President by more than 60 countries (including the United States), while Nicolas Maduro was recognized by 20 countries. TheOrganization of American States(OAS) declared Nicols Maduro's presidency illegitimate and urged new elections, but theUnited Nationsrecognized the Maduro government as the legal representative of Venezuela. However in a later, scathing report released on 16 September 2020, the UN accused Maduro of Crimes against Humanity.

Poorly written UN IMO Laws increase risk for poorer countries

Sep 2020: The Panama-flagged MT New Diamond carrying 2 million barrels of oil, on fire following an ... [+] engine explosion off the coast of Sri Lanka. The oil tanker was heading from the Middle East to India.

The energy minister of Trinidad and Tobago highlighted the complexities with addressing oil spills across international boundaries. Speaking to the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian on September 4, Khan said, The nation needs to be reminded that Venezuela is a sovereign state and T&T cannot unilaterally enter Venezuelan territory to conduct any reconnaissance or other works without being invited to so do. There exists a bilateral agreement between Venezuela and Trinidad for an oil spill contingency plan in the event a genuine risk exists or an active spill occurs. This is the agreement that will govern the action of the Government.

This highlights the risk posed by poorly written laws at the IMO. Several of these laws have increased the risk posed by oil spills to third party countries through which global shipping has demanded innocent passage through. Although the case in Venezuela involves relations between Trinidad and Venezuela, there are several third party ships from Iran passing to Venezuela that pose a high risk to both states.

Both Mauritius and Sri Lanka suffered this summer due to obscure legal loopholes pushed by the maritime insurance and oil industry, raising questions about whether international legislation being pushed by the UNs International Maritime Organization to countries around the world is designed to protect the environment and poorer coastal communities, or designed to protect the multi billion dollar shipping, oil and maritime insurance industries. The closer one looks, the less clear the answers are.

Oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast ... [+] coast of Mauritius, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020.

The latest sinking oil tanker comes on the back of a series of major shipping and oil disasters over the summer. One of the most high profile spills had been that of the Wakashio bulk carrier on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Between 200,000 and 310,000 gallons of oil were spilled into the pristine coral lagoons of the island nation (and the final numbers have not been disclosed by the Japanese shipowner almost two months on from the oil spill).

Local tourism and fishing communities have been devastated by the impact of the oil spill. Several important nature reserves such as the internationally protected Ramsar Mangrove sites of Pointe dEsny and Blue Bay Marine Park have had heavy oil drench the coastline, that will likely to lead to decades of long term environmental risks. A small island containing many of Mauritius 322 endangered species was also directly hit by the oil spill, pushing several to the brink of extinction.

Even Pope Francis called for prayers for Mauritius and seafarers following reports that over 400,000 ... [+] mariners were stuck on ships around the world

Caribbean resident, Sir Richard Branson, has been calling for global shipping reform since the oil spill in Mauritius. Speaking to Forbes in August, he said, Global shipping should step up to its responsibilities and offer support to the people of Mauritius to clean the pollution and ensure the long term monitoring and rehabilitation of the entire site.

Ocean scientist and explorer, Dr Sylvia Earle, has called for the Japanese owners of the sunken wreck off of Mauritius that caused the oil spill, to be lifted off the seabed and returned to a shipyard to be safely dismantled.

Even the Pope and the UN Secretary General have had to intervene in global shipping several times this summer as the industry have failed to guarantee the safety of 400,000 seafarers stuck on large oil tankers, bulk carrier, container ships and cruise liners around the world.

The UN Secretary General has caused the crisis caused by global shipping, a humanitarian disaster.

19 OCT 2020: Protestors outside the UN's International Maritime Organisation headquarters on the ... [+] opening day of negotiations into the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from shipping, and highlighting the impact of recent oil spills.

The risks to Trinidad and Venezuela of the sinking Nabarima oil tanker follows protests outside the UNs International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Monday. Campaigners from environmental NGO, Ocean Rebellion, say that the 1 billion tons of carbon from heavy shipping oil is causing a climate emergency and demands that the G20 group of most powerful nations intervene to radically shake up safety and environmental standards in the industry.

Protests outside the Japanese Embassy in London, who have been accused of undermining emission ... [+] targets for global shipping, given Japan's large shipping industry

The UN agency, has been criticized for undermining Paris Agreement, with proposals that will vastly increase carbon emissions for the worlds 6th largest emitter (global shipping), well beyond the worlds carbon budget that is needed to keep the planets climate stable.

Even French President, Emmanuel Macron has come in for strong criticism for French proposals for global shipping greenhouse gas emissions that would effectively make the Paris Agreement redundant.

It is also the week that the new Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihde Suga, has been criticized for advocating to dump radioactive Fukushima water into the ocean.

With nine major oil spills this year alone, and Trinidad and Tobago now in the eye of the storm of just the latest crisis caused by global shipping, will this industry ever be reformed?

Or will the silent complicity of the major maritime insurance companies, shipping companies, and other sustainable maritime states who are proudly boast of their sustainability credentials, also be a stain on the industry.

2020 was supposed to be the biggest year for the environment. Someone forgot to tell the global shipping industry.

More here:

Caribbean Threatened By 1.3 Million Barrels Of Oil From Sinking Oil Tanker - Forbes