Caribbean ports face chemical risks despite no domestic threat – officials

Although Barbados faces no active threat from chemical weapons, national and international experts warned on Monday that the routine movement of hazardous chemical materials through Caribbean ports underscores the region’s vulnerability and the need for stronger detection and emergency response systems.

The issue was highlighted at the opening of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) training course on the detection, sampling and identification of chemical warfare agents and toxic chemicals for Caribbean states parties, held at Accra Beach Hotel and Spa in Rockley.

Director of the Environmental Protection Department, Anthony Headley, said the programme, now in its second cohort, was designed to strengthen practical response capacity, even if the terminology appeared unusual for a country with a service-based economy.

“It provides an opportunity for us to expand our capacity to manage chemicals, to manage chemical fires, to manage chemical spills,” Headley said. “Despite the fact that we’re speaking about chemical warfare agents, the techniques, the methodologies that are used to identify, sample, detect, and therefore respond to any incident involving chemical weapons or toxic chemicals are basically the same.”

He said the training focused on equipping first responders, particularly those who arrive at incident scenes first, with the skills, tools and confidence needed to protect the public.

“It’s very important that they have the right knowledge, the right skills, the right tools to ensure that the response will be effective and that we safeguard the public, Barbadian public, Caribbean public, if an incident occurs,” Headley said.

While stressing that the Caribbean does not manufacture chemical weapons or hold stockpiles, Headley pointed to the region’s strategic vulnerability. “The Caribbean region is a significant trans-shipment point and even though we may not manufacture or have any stockpiles of chemical weapons, those chemicals that are used to produce chemical weapons will pass through the Caribbean at some point in time and therefore understanding and having that knowledge is absolutely critical for us to be able to respond,” he said.

Participants, he explained, would receive hands-on training from professional instructors from North America, Europe and Argentina, working with specialised detection and sampling equipment, wearing full protective suits and learning how to secure contaminated areas.

Some of the participants listening to remarks during the opening ceremony. (Photo Credit: Sheria Brathwaite)

Photo Credit: Sheria Brathwaite

The programme is supported by the OPCW, the technical secretariat of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the British government. Barbados has worked with UK partners since 2007, with early exposure during the Cricket World Cup helping to strengthen emergency preparedness for major events.

Since then, Barbados has trained more than 68 individuals, including at least three at instructor level. The benefits had already been seen during past responses, including a white powder incident at the National Union of Public Workers and a recent fire, where trained personnel secured and managed affected areas, Headley said.

On chemicals of domestic concern, he identified chlorine gas, used in water treatment, and pesticides linked to agriculture as the most common hazardous substances in Barbados. He also referenced historic chemical warfare agents such as chlorine gas, mustard agent and sarin, but stressed there was no indication of their presence here.

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification Steve Devonish delivering remarks. (Photo Credit: Sheria Brathwaite)

Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Steve Devonish, said that while Barbados is a small developing state with limited health infrastructure, hazardous chemicals are present across multiple sectors, making specialised detection and identification skills critical. He said Barbados’ accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2007 reflected a commitment to international cooperation and regional solidarity, particularly given the Caribbean’s role as a transit zone for toxic substances.

UK Ministry of Defence representative Clive Rowland said all participating countries were entitled under the Chemical Weapons Convention to assistance and protection, including training and equipment, but also carried a responsibility to assist others where possible. He said the UK has supported chemical weapons preparedness in the Caribbean since 2008.

Rowland stressed that there was “not at all” a prevalent chemical weapons threat in Barbados, but warned that chemical incidents could occur anywhere without warning, pointing to the 2018 Salisbury attack in the UK as an example. He also cautioned that dangerous chemicals could be improvised using readily available materials, including agricultural products, making preparedness essential.

British High Commissioner Simon Mustard said the UK continued to take the global threat seriously, noting that London had committed more than £2.8 million ($7.5m)  to OPCW operations in Syria to support the identification and verified destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles. He reiterated that the UK condemned the use of chemical weapons “by anyone under any circumstances”, adding that the threat remained real despite near-universal adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

(SZB)