Sinking Venezuelan Oil Tanker Causing Catastrophic Danger off the Coast of Trinidad & Tobago

An oil tanker is sinking off the coast of Venezuela / Trinidad & Tobago creating an urgent crisis and putting a large amount of marine life and the surrounding environment in catastrophic danger.

The Venezuelan oil tanker was abandoned more than 20 months ago and is in a state of disrepair. It has nearly 60 million gallons of crude oil on board,

Check out this video from Gary Aboud from the non-profit Fisherman & Friend of the Sea (FFOS) as he pleads for help and sounds off the alarm …

Aboud says at least 50,000 Trinidadian fishers depend on the Gulf for their families’ livelihood and a spill could destroy their way of life.

The amount of oil is five times more than the Exxon Valdez, which created one of the worst oil spills in history! The current danger could lead to a major ecological disaster if nothing is done to prevent it.

Environmentalists have been trying to put pressure on the Trinidadian and Venezuelan governments to do something about the capsizing vessel but have been unsuccessful because they are showing no urgency. There is a lack of transparency and foot-dragging coming from the two governments which are causing a lot of frustration on the Trinidadian locals who will be the most affected by an oil disaster.

The lack of attention from those in charge is causing people to feel betrayed and abandoned.

At Karmagawa and SaveTheReef, we can’t believe these dangers continue to happen. Haven’t we learned from the devastation caused by past oil spills?

We’re even more upset that those in charge are not stepping up with urgency. We’re using our media channels to speak up. If more countries get involved and make enough noise, hopefully, the right people will listen.

Please follow us on Twitter and Instagram so you can stay updated. Also, share the information with your family and friends so that they are informed.

Have them watch this powerful video …

The director of this video, Amir Zakeri, created a masterclass for anyone in the Karmagawa and SaveTheReef community who would like to tell visual stories about the causes they care about. If you’re interested, here’s 50% off.  

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What do you think about this situation happening off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago? Leave a comment below.

(Cover image: Richard Semik/Shutterstock)