La Trinite
Atlantic coast commune where chlordecone contamination has disrupted traditional fishing and agriculture, forcing economic adaptation since 1993.
La Trinité occupies Martinique's windward Atlantic coast—the 'cabesterre' directly exposed to trade winds—where geography has shaped a fundamentally different economic niche than the calm Caribbean-facing west. The commune centers on the Caravelle Peninsula, one of the island's few points with both natural harbor access and Atlantic exposure. Unlike the cruise-oriented west coast, La Trinité developed around small-scale fishing with traditional Martinique boats adapted to rougher Atlantic waters. The surrounding mangroves at river mouths serve as critical nursery habitat for commercially important fish stocks, creating an ecological foundation for the local fishing economy. However, chlordecone contamination from pre-1993 banana cultivation has poisoned rivers, fish, and farming ground across parts of the commune—forcing fishing bans in affected zones and creating dead zones in what was once productive territory. This chemical legacy represents a form of ecological debt that continues to constrain La Trinité's development options. Agriculture faces similar pressure: the commune sits within Martinique's banana belt, but pesticide residues have rendered some areas unproductive. As one of two main coastal ports connected by steamers (alongside Fort-de-France), La Trinité once served as the Atlantic gateway for goods and people. Today it occupies a transitional niche: too small for cruise tourism, too contaminated for intensive agriculture, yet maintaining traditional fishing practices in unaffected waters.