ExxonMobil says it will compensate fishermen for losses

Mar 10, 2022 News

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…says grievance mechanism in place to facilitate process

Kaieteur News – Oil giant, ExxonMobil has committed to compensating fishermen and other persons if they can prove losses suffered as a result of the company’s operations offshore Guyana.
This information was yesterday related to the press during a media engagement. Exxon was keen to note too that affected parties must first make a complaint to the company for it to be investigated before requisite compensation is handed over. It was explained, “ExxonMobil Guyana has a Community Grievance Mechanism for stakeholders to provide feedback related to any issues or concerns, guidance, requests and/or complaints associated with our activities”.
The company added that the objectives of its grievance mechanism is that it can receive and address complaints in a timely and confidential manner as it strives to improve its project performance. Exxon said this mechanism also demonstrates its commitment to meaningful stakeholder engagement and respect for Guyanese opinions and concerns.
To this end, the US oil giant said that stakeholders can submit feedback to the company via telephone number at (592) 623-1176, in person to an ExxonMobil Guyana employee or representative or via email at [email protected] or by sending a letter to its office addresses to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, c/o Grievance Coordinator, 86 Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana.
Following this course of action, the company said that an investigation will be conducted to verify the claims made, after which fishers can be compensated for their losses. It was explained that fishermen have been compensated by the company in the past due to disruptions caused by Exxon’s operations. For instance, the company said when it recently conducted laying of fibre optic cables, fishermen along the coasts were impacted and thus compensated for their losses during the period.
Kaieteur News recently reported the complaints of fishermen who said that their catches have declined significantly, even as they attributed their losses to the oil company’s operations. In fact, they worried that they may be out of jobs in the next few years should the downward trend continue.
Stayon Frank, a fisherman who retails fish in the Stabroek Market complained to this publication that he has been into the fishing business since he was a child and noticed that since oil production commenced, fish catches have declined. He said: “Ever since them man start drill we seabed out deh we catch gone very low. I in this business like since I was a child. In the earlies, from like 2007 when I start catch fish to like 2016. We used to get an exciting catch. But you see from like 2016 to now, presently, we catch is like going and strain water cause when we go out there we would just catch back lil gas money and something to feed the family”.
Another vendor who gave his name as ‘Dexter’ explained that his catch has reduced drastically and the quality of fish is also daunting. He explained that his catch was somewhere between 1,100 pounds in the earlier years. However, it has now reduced to about 700 pounds per catch.
ExxonMobil and its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) have frequently warned in its documents submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that its various work schedules may have adverse effects on marine species including sea turtles, birds and fish. Only recently, this was disclosed in the oil company’s project summary for the 12-well campaign in the Canje Block. The Canje Block is located offshore, in deepwater of Guyana, southeast of the Kaieteur Block, and north-northeast of the Stabroek Block, where EEPGL has conducted substantial exploration and development activities to date.
According to the Canje Project Summary, “The potential impacts, which are expected to be similar to impacts identified in previous exploration/appraisal drilling Environmental Assessment and Management Plans in the Canje, Kaieteur, and Stabroek Blocks, could be directly and/or indirectly generated by the Project during drilling and/or abandonment, and such impacts could be adverse or positive in nature.”
When it comes to the positive impacts of the project, Exxon said capacity will be built in the local labour force.
Fish studies
EEPGL was recently ordered by the EPA to fix its Environmental Impact Assessment for its fourth project, the Yellowtail Development in the Stabroek Block. Environmentalist, Simone Mangal-Joly during the online consultations held by the EPA on the proposed project had argued that pertinent information regarding the impact of Exxon’s operations on the fisheries sector, here in Guyana, is lacking in the company’s EIA, which was prepared by its Consultant, Environmental Resources Management (ERM).
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.

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