I waved at some pirates

[Darcy]

So there's lots of pirate activity in Trinidad.

https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/pirates-venezuela-trinidad-and-tobago/?fbclid=IwAR2k_WfveyAGXfFscMYE6zAqyhlRNty-3D2oh68xMcMNYZRGJbnJdi4ACQQ

Recently the pirates accosted some fishermen near where I am in Couva to steal their boats, as they use the boats and motors to run drugs from Venezuela to Trinidad. It happens frequently but recently they threw the fishermen overboard and sadly most of them drowned. HUGE news here as now they are murderers, not just stealing stuff. Our company has been flying up and down the area looking for the bodies and its all over the news, and heavily armed SWAT teams fly up and down the coast regularly now.

So......I'm out fishing on my kayak one Saturday morning and here comes this shitty little fishing boat with a SWAT team on board, guys in full body armour and AK47s and everything. I figure its the police so wave and they don't wave back...how rude. They go by me really slow then take off. Weird but I figure they are looking for the pirates.

Fast forward a month and I'm talking with someone tonight whose brother was one of the fishermen killed, and knows a few fishermen who have been robbed. I talked about the SWAT team on the shitty boat. Apparently THOSE are the pirates! The Police have big professional boats. It's known that the pirates have a shitty boat and dress full military with AK47s.

So I have waved at pirates.

My excitement for the month.

https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/pirate-attack-in-gulf-of-paria-seven-fishermen-overboard/article_4f3ab3aa-ad57-11e9-9436-535aec9f6ad2.html

[El Pelon]

Glad you made it. It is always best to Come Back Alive.

[Darcy]

LOL. Yup. Kayak fishing again there Sunday. It's the best place for big tarpon. It was right behind me in this photo, same day actually.




I've been held up before (AK47s in Cotonou) and through a few major riots (Mombasa, Tanzania and Mozambique) but its been a good while since I've had any real excitement.

[Ozymandias]

Awesome! Do you think the police will manage to eradicate the problem?

[Darcy]

I don't know. They' have armed to the teeth helicopters fly up down the coast once in awhile but according to the local fishermen it's still happening. I'm going again tomorrow morning and hope they have no interest in kayaks. I've only seen them the once and I go all the time so I think the risk is low. It is keeping lots of people off the water and co-workers with boats don't go out anymore. Kinda sucks. The crime rate is quite high here but I don't get my hackles up like I would in other parts of the world I've lived. I think I have a bit of sense about it all after years kicking around all over Africa (night clubs all hours on my own, mountain biking rural on my own, etc), except in this case, but I was on a kayak. Not many options anyway with armed men on a motor boat. I'm not one for cancelling plans for fear though. Thats where all the big tarpon lie......

[Darcy]

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/fisherman-suffers-injury-in-in-pirate-attack-6.2.935680.4539d46f58

They are still at it. I fish often with local fishermen and they are pretty nervous. Still out on the kayak catching tarpon and barracuda most weekends, but keeping closer to shore. I'm tasked with getting the Air Guard helos up again (from the pilot/training/operation manuals side of things) but government spending is the present holdup.



Some damn cool helos....