Port Of Spain Research Articles

Government-owned micro-bank and financial exclusion: a case study of small business people in east Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Microfinance is commonly known as banking upside down because micro-lending institutions make very small loans available to businesspeople excluded from conventional banks. Microfinance has piqued the interest of political elites in many Global South countries because of its support by the poor masses. The case of the Trinidadian microfinance sector shows that the state dominates the micro-lending sector through its agency, the National Entrepreneurship Development Company (NEDCO). The main argument for this paper is that government-owned microfinance is in fact “political microfinance” because of its exclusionary tendency of the small businesspeople in the slums of east Port of Spain. On the ground, the current party politics have fuelled the perception that persons of African descent are the most excluded from accessing a small loan. However, this paper finds that no matter which party is in power, the state has co-opted NEDCO to make loans available to its own party supporters, and this practice goes against the microfinance sector’s goal of inclusive finance.

Big Data for Better Urban Life? – An Exploratory Study of Critical Urban Issues in Two Caribbean Cities: Paramaribo (Suriname) and Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)

Big Data is increasingly seen as important in studying the city. This pertains to both its methodological capacity and the societal implications it may have. In this article we draw on contemporary literature to discuss the potentials and challenges of Big Data for addressing pressing urban issues. In addition, we examine the potential of Big Data as a methodological tool for two Caribbean cities, Paramaribo and Port of Spain, for developing new knowledge on urban issues that matter in such cities, specifically water-related risks and security. We do so by interrogating Twitter data to uncover relevant geographical and social patterns of tweets pertaining to water-related risks (Paramaribo) and security/crime issues (Port of Spain) and confronting these with qualitative knowledge about these places. We argue that Big Data are a powerful resource for discovering interesting patterns, but one needs to be critical of the methodological caveats and consider the social-cultural specificities of ICT use.

Historical discarding in Mediterranean fisheries: a fishers' perception

AbstractDiscarding of commercially important fish species in the bottom trawl fisheries in the northern Mediterranean Sea was investigated by soliciting the long-term recollections of fishers engaged or formerly engaged in such fisheries. The main aim of our investigation was to describe the prevalence of discarding and its evolution over the past 70 years using information gathered through individual questionnaire-based interviews with fishers from ports in Spain, Italy, and Greece, following a standardized sampling protocol. Although it proved impossible to derive absolute estimates of the volume of discarded catches over the period investigated, we conclude that over the past 70 years, discarding as a practice has gradually increased in the northern Mediterranean trawl fisheries and has been accompanied by a shift in the species composition of the discarded catch. While discarding can occur for a number of reasons, our investigations indicate that discarding in the past was mostly driven by market demand, but recent legal and regulatory constraints have led to changes in fishing strategies and became a significant reason for discards.

Women in Local Government Elections in Trinidad and Tobago 1946-2013

“Pioneering research” is how the publication Women in Local Government Elections in Trinidad and Tobago 1946-2013 introduces itself. Indeed, the Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women has created a historic record, of the nation’s women who faced the polls at the Local Government level since the system of Local Government was extended throughout the country by virtue of the introduction of County Councils. Until 1946 Local Government was limited to the three municipalities viz: the capital city of- Port of Spain, and the boroughs of San Fernando and Arima.

Reducing Tubing Failures in the Tambaredjo Field, Suriname

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 169978, “Case Study for Reducing Tubing Failures in Suriname’s Tambaredjo Field,” by D. Nurmohamed, SPE, H. Chin A Lien, SPE, and S. Kisoensingh, SPE, Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname, prepared for the 2014 SPE Trinidad and Tobago Energy Resources Conference, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 9–11 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed. In the 30 years of operations on Suriname’s Tambaredjo field, the prime mechanism for lifting the 15.6 °API crude to surface has been that of progressing cavity pumps (PCPs). In the period from 2008 to 2012, an annual average of 580 downhole failures occurred, 54% of which were caused by tubing leaks. In an effort to reduce these tubing failures, a pilot program was commenced to install rod guides in wells with the highest failure rate and to install a 25-ft sucker rod directly above the pump. Introduction Currently, Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname produces from the Tambaredjo, Calcutta, and Tambaredjo Northwest fields, as illustrated in Fig. 1. These oil fields are located in a marshy area on the coastal plain of Suriname approximately 55 km west of Paramaribo. The crude oil contains low sulfur content (0.65 wt%) and 1 wt% asphaltene and has an average viscosity of 500 cp at reservoir conditions. The water/oil ratio is 7 and the gas/oil ratio is less than 50 scf/bbl as of December 2013. The average daily production from these fields reached 16,700 BOPD from 1,549 active producing wells completed in shallow unconsolidated-sand reservoirs with depths ranging from 700 to 1,500 ft. The Tambaredjo oil field is the oldest and largest of these fields, with 1,130 active producers contributing two-thirds of the overall production. Mechanical Wear of Tubing The majority of tubing failures in the Tambaredjo field are repetitive in nature. Mechanical wear is the removal of metal caused by the frictional rubbing of the sucker-rod string against the inner wall of the tubing. This frictional rubbing can be increased by the movement of the rod string, often characterized as stick/slip.

Incidence of tongue carcinoma in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies.

The incidence of tongue carcinoma in Trinidad and Tobago and the greater West Indies is unknown; therefore, the present study examines the frequency of tongue carcinoma cases, drawing comparisons to worldwide and regional data. A retrospective analysis of all confirmed cases of tongue carcinoma was conducted using eight years of data from the pathology records at the Port of Spain General Hospital (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago). A total of 26 cases were confirmed, of which 21 were male (81%) and five were female (19%). The age range was 29–86 years, with a mean age of 57 years, and the most common group affected was the 61–70 years age group. In addition, the number of newly diagnosed cases per year ranged between one and seven, with an average of 3.25 new cases per year and a peak incidence of seven new cases in the year of 2009. In the 19 cases where the degree of differentiation was recorded, histological analysis revealed the extent of differentiation as follows: Five cases (26%) were poorly-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); eight cases (42%) were moderately-differentiated SCC; and six cases (32%) were well-differentiated SCC. In addition, one case of chronic inflammatory process and one case of mucoepidermoid adenocarcinoma of the tongue in a 57-year-old female were identified. Overall, the incidence of tongue carcinoma in Trinidad and Tobago appears to be low, estimated at 0.46/100,000 individuals/year. The male:female ratio is 4:1 and SCC is the dominant cancer type (96% of cases). The peak age of occurrence is at 61–70 years. These findings are in agreement with previously determined global data, however, additional research of the risk factors and outcomes of surgery as a treatment strategy for tongue carcinoma is required.

A Case Study of Integrated Asset Modeling for Gas Fields Sharing Production Facilities

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 169918, ’A Case Study of Integrated Asset Modeling To Support Reservoir- Management Strategies for Four Dry-Gas Fields Sharing Production Facilities,’ by O. Espinola, SPE, M. Rocha, SPE, and N.C. Alvarez, SPE, Schlumberger, and J.R. Ramirez, A. Solis, and J.D. Guzman-Arevalo, Pemex, prepared for the 2014 Trinidad and Tobago Energy Resources Conference, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 9-11 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Integrated asset modeling (IAM) properly models the interaction of fields producing through common production facilities and yields reliable production forecasts, compared with the use of independent models. Using integrated asset models helps validate independent models, honor facilities constraints, and, in general, support the decision-making process in reservoir management. This paper describes a case study in which four reservoir models were coupled with a production-network model, with the objectives of maximizing recovery factors, identifying operational problems, and evaluating water-production effects. Introduction Among the recent discoveries made by Pemex Veracruz Asset are four dry-gas fields with different geological and dynamic properties that must be produced through shared production facilities to be economic. This poses a complex operational scenario involving several questions that need to be answered: What is the optimum exploitation rhythm for each reservoir and its interaction on the surface? On the basis of the fact that one reservoir has an aquifer, what will be the effect on the recovery factor, and what are the challenges at the surface level? Regarding the differences in pressures and volumes, the selection of the compression stages will be difficult because each reservoir will require different capacity and startup dates. What, then, is the optimum compression scheme that generates the maximum value from an economic perspective? As part of the field-development plan, the incorporation of new wells or a new field will be evaluated. What will be the effect of these new elements on the system? To face all these challenges, a multidisciplinary team was appointed to analyze the system from different perspectives and design several exploitation strategies and evaluate them both technically and economically to select the optimum one to produce the fields. The strategies should Manage reservoir pressures to reduce backpressure effects. Minimize the risk to produce water and support the design of water-handling facilities. Identify the wells with liquid-loading problems and low potential. Define the startup date of each compression stage so that all reservoirs benefit at the same time. Evaluate the scenarios economically, considering two schemes—buying and renting compression facilities. Evaluate the effect of future developments, such as workover, infill drilling, and the incorporation of a new field.

New Jerusalems: Derek Walcott’s poetics of the Caribbean city

Abstract In his poetry of Castries, Saint Lucia and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Derek Walcott both interrogates and appropriates colonialist and modernist utopian discourses. By appropriating these discourses, Walcott defines the Caribbean city as an inherently modern space, and in doing so redefines Eurocentric conceptions of modernity and cultural prejudices. Although he utilizes utopian discourses, and argues that the cities’ smallness, incorporation of rurality, cultural mixity, and technological innovation are ideal aspects of the modern city, Walcott is also perceptive regarding issues of spatial power relations and inequality. Walcott portrays town squares, parks and other enclosed areas as zones of exclusion, and reads these from the peripheralized perspective of shantytowns. Furthermore, Walcott criticizes the spatial coloniality and political corruption of the postcolonial city. Ultimately, Walcott’s concern is the everyday and embodied place(s) of the city, and it is from such a phenomenological perspective that the poet can draw artistic inspiration and sustain a poetic vision.

The impact of demand uncertainty on port infrastructure costs: Useful information for regulators?

Recent changes to regulation legislation permit Spanish ports more autonomy and a degree of control over pricing policy. This implies a shift in emphasis away from investments in new infrastructure and towards focusing on demand and taking full advantage of existing assets. The degree to which ports can modify tariffs depends, among other things, on forecasts of traffic, debt levels, objective annual profitability and reasonable yields on assets. Insofar as demand uncertainty affects ports׳ costs, this will affect ports׳ ability to meet efficiency and profitability targets. We analyze the effects of demand uncertainty of port costs using a panel data set of 26 Spanish port authorities observed over the period 1993–2007. Estimating a cost function using panel data techniques, we find a significant effect of demand on costs. Non-containerized general cargo was the service whose demand variability most affected port costs. We quantify the effects of demand variability on costs using a simple counterfactual exercise. On the basis of our results we find that if ports in Spain faced the same relative demand variability as the port with the lowest relative demand variability, as measured by coefficients of variation of demand, costs would be an average of 2–3% lower depending on the specification of demand. Different demand variabilities among ports should therefore be taken into consideration by regulators for pricing policy and when imposing minimum profit requirements on ports.

“Most Holy Virgin Assist Me”: Subaltern Transnationalism and Positively Possible Worlds

In 1802, a young free mulatta named Louisa Calderon confessed to the authorities of British Trinidad that she had assisted Carlos Gonzales, also a free mulatto, in the theft of two thousand dollars from Pedro Ruiz, her lover and employer. The confession was not offered voluntarily. The first British governor of a formerly Spanish Trinidad, Thomas Picton, had authorized Calderon’s inquisitors to torture her, and she had admitted her guilt while suffering the pains of the piquet. The torture did not stop with Calderon’s confession; wishing to learn where the stolen money had been deposited, Trinidadian authorities tortured Calderon yet again. In 1804, Picton was indicted for having authorized this possibly illegal mode of inquisition. As a part of the proceedings, King’s Bench in Britain issued a writ of mandamus to Port of Spain, Trinidad, ordering a court of sessions to gather information for the case. At the beginning of the Trinidadian sessions court, the counsel for the prosecution, Charles Augustus Hayes, asked Francisco de Castro, a Spanish Trinidadian escrivano (notary and court officer), to recount the two sessions of torture that he had witnessed. After being tortured a second time, Hayes asked, how did Calderon respond? “She repeated what she had said the first time,” de Castro relates. Perhaps not believing that Calderon could have stuck so close to her script, Hayes pressed on: “No further?” De Castro then acknowledged, “Yes, she invoked the Virgin Mary of Carmel several times, and said, ‘senor Carlos Gonzales has the money, the same as I told the judge yesterday.’” Note here how speech that is legible as confessional is directly quoted, while Calderon’s invocations are only indirectly recorded, as if the specific words would not alter their legal or semantic value. Indeed, Hayes’ subsequent questions would enfold Calderon’s invocations into the capacious category of “crying,” an embodied mode of performance (akin to “fainting”) by which Calderon “manifest[ed] her affliction.” Either confessing or crying,

A critical assessment of Trinidad and Tobago as a cruise homeport: doorway to the South American cruise market?

The Caribbean is the number one cruise region in the world, and given the cruise industry's continued growth, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) has earmarked cruise tourism as a niche market to be developed. Reports indicate that there is an increased interest in the South American market by the cruise ship industry, which presents an ideal opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago, given its geographical location, to be considered a cruise hub in the southern Caribbean. This article analyses the potential of Trinidad and Tobago as a cruise homeport and seeks to determine if it can be a gateway to the South American cruise market. Using specific criteria for homeports as identified from existing cruise research, respondents were asked to rate the port in Port of Spain, Trinidad, as a potential homeport. Research findings indicate that, at present, the destination is not prepared to be a homeport given its inadequate facilities and infrastructure. Respondents' recommendations included the need to develop basic infrastructural facilities to accommodate mega cruise ships, greater incentives to cruise companies in order to start homeport operations as well as the development of a National Cruise Tourism Policy.

The Development of a Basic Surgical Skills Workshop in the West Indies and the Tenth Anniversary of the Caribbean College of Surgeons

In June 2012 representatives from the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) travelled to the Caribbean island of Trinidad to convene a Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) workshop. This was conducted in conjunction with the Department of Surgical Sciences, part of the University of the West Indies. The workshop was held at Mount Hope Women's Hospital, Port of Spain. This is one of Trinidad's largest tertiary hospitals, housing 340 general purpose beds with a large-volume acute intake. Discussions with local residents revealed that during a 24-hour period at Mount Hope, it is not uncommon to perform multiple emergency laparotomies for penetrating abdominal trauma in the form of gunshot and stabbing. Caribbean junior surgical trainees therefore develop confidence in managing these challenging cases at an early stage in their training.

Several benthic species can be used interchangeably in integrated sediment quality assessment

The selection of the best management option for contaminated sediments requires the biological assessment of sediment quality using bioindicator organisms. There have been comparisons of the performance of different test species when exposed to naturally occurring sediments. However, more research is needed to determine their suitability to be used interchangeably. The sensitivity of two amphipod species (Ampelisca brevicornis and Corophium volutator) to sediments collected from four different commercial ports in Spain was tested. For comparison the lugworm, Arenicola marina, which is typically used for bioaccumulation testing, was also tested. Chemical analyses of the sediments were also conducted. All species responded consistently to the chemical exposure tests, although the amphipods, as expected, were more sensitive than the lugworm. It was found that C. volutator showed higher vulnerability than A.brevicornis. It was concluded that the three species can be used interchangeably in the battery of tests for integrated sediment quality assessment.

Engaging Youth In Creating A Healthy School Environment: A Photovoice Strategy

This study examined a pilot participatory needs assessment that was conducted with nine senior high school students from Port of Spain, Trinidad. Photovoice was used to engage these students in critical dialogue about their perceptions of issues affecting their health. Trained graduate students facilitated a 3-day training session in photovoice technique/ethics, writing narratives, critical reflection and dialogue with these students. Once trained, they were given disposable cameras and asked to photograph their school environment and document their thoughts on what they had photographed. After collation of photos and dialogue, seven health themes emerged. The most recurring themes included quality of the food served at schools, need for safe, clean and well-maintained school facilities, and role modeling by teachers, parents and community. Recommendations to address the concerns identified were discussed by the participants. The study concluded that conducting needs assessment, which concentrates on the voices of those affected, can be a first step in creating successful and cost-efficient programs and interventions tailored to specific groups. A needs assessment using photovoice should be a technique considered by school staff, government leaders, health professionals, and NGOs.

Earl Lovelace and Monique Roffey

Earl Lovelace is a Trinidadian novelist, journalist, playwright and short story writer. Born in Toco in 1935, Lovelace attended school in Scarborough, Tobago and Port of Spain, Trinidad. He worked ...

Transnational Urbanism in Port of Spain: Returning Middle-Class Urban Elites

Port of Spain, Trinidad offers an ideal context in which to analyze pre-retirement return migration to a Global South urban realm, expanding transnational urban research beyond the conventional focus on Global North metropolitan destinations. In this article, we draw on the transnational narratives of a selected sample of relatively youthful Trinidadians, who have spent many years abroad acquiring education and professional experience, but who have then decided to return in mid-career to the capital region of the island nation of their birth, or of their parent(s). Theoretically, we position these returning professionals as members of a "middling" transnational urban class whose return is at least partly motivated by a desire to "make a difference." Our results contribute to a growing literature that documents the role of transnational middle-class urban elites returning elsewhere in the Carribbean: "middling" transnational urbanism is reshaping key facets of urbanization in the Global South.

The dance claimed me: a biography of Pearl Primus

Pearl Primus (1919-1994) blazed onto the dance scene in 1943 with stunning works that incorporated social and racial protest into their dance aesthetic. In The Claimed Me, Peggy and Murray Schwartz, friends and colleagues of Primus, offer an intimate perspective on her life and explore her influences on American culture, dance, and education. They trace Primus's path from her childhood in Port of Spain, Trinidad, through her rise as an influential international dancer, an early member of the New Group (whose motto was Dance is a weapon), and a pioneer in dance anthropology. Primus traveled extensively in the United States, Europe, Israel, the Caribbean, and Africa, and she played an important role in presenting authentic African dance to American audiences. She engendered controversy in both her private and professional lives, marrying a white Jewish man during a time of segregation and challenging black intellectuals who opposed the primitive in her choreography. Her political protests and mixed-race tours in the South triggered an FBI investigation, even as she was celebrated by dance critics and by contemporaries like Langston Hughes. For The Claimed Me, the Schwartzes interviewed more than a hundred of Primus's family members, friends, and fellow artists, as well as other individuals to create a vivid portrayal of a life filled with passion, drama, determination, fearlessness, and brilliance.

Control of NCD: A Caribbean Perspective

Caribbean political leaders have, over the past four decades, shown significant leadership in responding to the health and development challenges posed by chronic diseases, also known as noncommunicable diseases or NCDs. In 2007, Heads of Government of Caribbean countries (CARICOM) held a Summit on NCDs in Port of Spain, Trinidad, to discuss the impact of NCDs on the people of the region [1]. The meeting concluded with the issuance of a series of recommendations aimed at reducing the burden of NCDs through comprehensive and integrated preventive and control strategies and a multisectoral, collaborative approach. Caribbean leaders subsequently contributed to efforts which have led to the planned United Nations High Level Meeting (UNHLM) on noncommunicable diseases. Health nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in many Caribbean countries have contributed to the NCD response for many years. The upcoming UNHLM catalyzed their efforts, and integrated and multi-sectoral approaches resulted in several countries. This paper describes three examples of such approaches; the Caribbean Tobacco Control Project (CTCP); formation of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and subsequent launch of a mobile text based advocacy and educational campaign; and the implementation of a population Salt Reduction Program. It concludes by highlighting desired outcomes from the UNHLM necessary to allow for these and other regional initiatives to be further developed.

Host plant range of Raoiella indica (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) in areas of invasion of the New World

Raoiella indica has spread rapidly through the Neotropical region where the mite damages economically and ecologically important plants. Three studies were conducted to determine the host plant range of R. indica, using the presence of colonies containing all life stages as an indicator of reproductive suitability. Periodic surveys at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Miami Dade County, FL, USA) and the Royal Botanical Gardens (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) identified 27 new reproductive host plants. The reproductive suitability of two dicotyledonous species and three native Florida palm species was examined. An updated list of reproductive host plants of R. indica is presented. All reported reproductive hosts (91 plant species) of R. indica are monocots from the orders Arecales (Arecaceae), Zingiberales (Heliconiaceae, Musaceae, Strelitziaceae, Zingiberaceae) and Pandanales (Pandanaceae). Most are palms of the family Arecaceae that originated in areas of the Eastern Hemisphere; about one fourth of the reported hosts are native to the New World and could be considered new host associations of R. indica. Six years after the initial detection in the Caribbean, R. indica has expanded its host plant range. Here we report 27 new reproductive host of R. indica that represent 30% of increase on previous host plant records. As this mite continues spreading in the Neotropical region a great diversity of plants is potentially affected.

Book Review: Christian Ethics

Ethna Regan concludes this exploration of a theological engagement with human rights by noting the observation of George Newlands that theologians have exerted far less energy on the human rights culture than those of other disciplines (Christ and Human Rights: The Transformative Engagement, p. 177, n. 5). Motivated by her own personal experience, particularly with children on the streets of Port of Spain, Trinidad, and rooted in critical academic research, the previous 222 pages successfully attempt to respond to this implicit challenge.