Gulfstream incident – Claims Manager returns to Trinidad and Tobago

IOPC Funds’ Claims Manager, Mr Mark Homan, returned to Trinidad and Tobago from 8 to 11 September to hold meetings with officials and stakeholders involved in the Gulfstream oil pollution incident.

During the visit, the Claims Manager met with representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) and the Finance Department of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). Their discussions focused on the submission of claims, the sale of oil recovered from the Gulfstream Barge, and outstanding issues relating to waste disposal.

While in the 1992 Fund Member State, Mr Homan also visited the sites affected by the pollution and met with the Minister in the  MEEI. He took the opportunity to provide an overview of the international liability and compensation regime for ship-source oil pollution, outline the progress made in respect of claims arising from the incident, and discussed matters relating to the implementation of relevant international conventions.

The Secretariat will report on further developments regarding the incident and submit a detailed report at the next session of the governing bodies in November 2025.