Exxon scrambling for baseline data on fisheries sector

Nov 17, 2021 News

---

Kaieteur News – Pertinent information regarding the impact ExxonMobil’s offshore operations can have on the fisheries sector here in Guyana is lacking in the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment.In fact, even though oil production has commenced, the company is clueless as to the kinds of effects its work can have on the fisheries sector, and data is now being collected to analyse the situation.
Highlighting these concerns were Environmentalist, Simone Mangal-Jolly during the online Consultations held by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Exxon Mobil’s Yellowtail Project.
According to Mangal-Jolly, even though Exxon compiled a fisheries study, the document failed to highlight the migratory patterns of fish, among others. She said, “It has no comprehensive mapping of the fish nurseries in Guyana or neighbouring countries that might be feeding our fisheries sector. There are no indications whatsoever in any baseline studies done, including the Marine Baseline Study of what the migratory patterns are of commercial or non-commercial fish compared to that whole zone”.
In fact, she pointed out, “There is no description, material or financials of the fisheries value chain, there is no quantification of the economic value, direct economic financial value, both in terms of its contribution to the economy and to the subsistence economy. There is no quantification of the socio-economic value of that industry in terms of livelihood, family dependency or the importance of fish consumption to the people of Guyana”.
Mangal-Jolly also flagged that there is no information on any chemical testing of fish, as no baseline data had ever been collected prior to the company’s operations.
“So, in fact, there is absolutely no baseline data whatsoever for the most elementary thing that one could be possibility socially responsible about, which is fishing,” she argued.
The Environmentalist said she was very concerned, as the regulatory authority under the previous governing allowed this to occur, and the present administration continues to turn a blind eye to the situation.
She reasoned, “You cannot submit an EIA where you have failed to treat with fisheries, with nurseries, with migratory patterns, with catch per unit effort, how that has changed over time, comprehensively.”
In further presenting her case, the Environmentalist said that a study cannot be conducted in a fashion where a single fisherman is interviewed in each Region, even as she reminded ExxonMobil that it is well equipped with the required resources to get the job done.
“You have the resources to do this. You could have given it to Conservation International, you could have hired a firm to do it for Guyana, and I think that you have not done well. You have not done good by the fisheries sector of our country and they have an incredibly important role to play in the life of Guyana, both in terms of all of the downstream value that comes from them (and) the subsistence value of fisheries in an incredible impoverished environment,” she pointed out.
While referring to this lack of information as a “huge deficiency” in the EIA, Mangal-Jolly asked the company to clarify how it intended to address the situation, given that fishermen are already feeling the blunt of the impacts.
Responding to her concerns during the Consultative session was Environmental Resources Management (ERM) representative Jason Wiley.
According to him, the company did compile a report based on the details provided by a few persons in the various Administrative Regions; however, he assured that the study remains ongoing.
“You referred to some people up and down the coast that provided information, that’s true. That is how we did that survey and that survey is ongoing. It’s continuing to be done for another year right now so in terms of answering your question about how a perceived lack of baseline data is being addressed, more baseline data is being conducted or being collected right now directly from the fishing industry through that study,” he responded.
Mangal-Jolly however argued, “A baseline is something you collect before you attempt to do a project or an action that alters the conditions, such that if you were to come later you would then be able to know how the conditions have changed…you can’t be continuously collecting a baseline when there are already activities going on offshore that are affecting those conditions.”
Only on Monday, it was reported that, amid a shortage of fish here, supermarkets are now stocking their freezers with imported fish and shrimp from Florida and Jamaica. And while local fishermen have sought to blame the situation on ExxonMobil’s ongoing oil operations in Guyana’s waters, the American oil giant has downplayed this, saying impacts from its operations on marine life is minor to negligible.
However, when the first six months of 2019, 2020 and 2021 were compared, it was revealed that for the past two years, fish and shrimp production has been declining. This was seen in the recent Bank of Guyana (BoG) Half-Year Report.
According to that report, the fishing industry recorded mixed output performance and this resulted in a smaller reduction of 6.6 percent compared to the 12.1 percent recorded in June 2020. It was also stated that there was a decline in catches of fish and shrimp by 22.1 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively, due to a reduction in the number of fishing vessels operating.
A table in the report illustrated the fish and shrimp production as follows: fish (tonnes); 2019 – 10,378, 2020 – 9,509 and 2021 – 7,406, and for shrimp (tonnes) 2019- 10,046; 2020 – 9,259 and 2021 – 8,171.

---

---