Petro-Canada became an operator in Trinidad and Tobago in July 2005, when it signed production sharing contracts for three exploration blocks. Two of the blocks are offshore in the Gulf of Paria, west of Trinidad, and the third is offshore of Tobago. Early on in the exploration phase, we identified the fishing communities in our areas of operation as important stakeholders.
Fishing is a significant part of the local economy, providing a livelihood for hundreds of people in the towns and villages near Petro-Canada’s Block 22 offshore Tobago. Working on the open seas can be a dangerous occupation and so Petro-Canada has been sponsoring Safety at Sea training courses for local ‘fisherfolk.’ These courses include instruction on basic boat and engine maintenance, the use of safety equipment and survival techniques.
Radar reflectors are provided for local fishing boats that improve safety on the seas because they allow the smaller fishing boats to be spotted by other vessels, thereby reducing collisions. Course participants are also given hand-held global positioning satellite (GPS) units. These GPS units are particularly useful for fishers because they not only help assist in navigation in poor weather, but they also enable fishers to mark the best fishing grounds for future visits.
During a recent Safety At Sea training event, we brought along a camera to record the event and to hear what course participants had to say about their experience.
Watch a video of Safety at Sea training in Tobago (WMV, 10,087 KB) 
Our Safety at Sea training courses are only part of our connection with local Tobagonian communities. Before beginning our deepwater exploration program we held extensive public consultations with communities across northern Tobago in order to explain what exploration activity would be undertaken. We also appointed a Fisheries Liaison Officer to keep fisherfolk continuously informed of our operations and to listen to their concerns. This helped us reduce potential hazards by ensuring the fishing community was fully aware of where our rigs were located and the routes our vessels would take. Petro-Canada maintained regular contact with fisherfolk to help ensure that drilling and fishing could take place simultaneously and safely.
It was as a result of these ongoing consultations over the years that we responded with Safety at Sea training courses, and continue to offer them even though our exploration program ended successfully in mid-2008.