ExxonMobil conducting assessment of Guyana’s ailing fisheries sector

Jul 30, 2022 News

…refuses to disclose consultant, scope of study

Kaieteur News – Oil giant ExxonMobil has commenced an assessment of Guyana’s ailing fishing industry, but the company is hesitant to disclose which consultancy firm has been hired to undertake the job, and more importantly, the scope of the studies.

Fisherman, Stayon Frank displays his disappointing catch to Kaieteur News

In the Yellowtail Environmental Permit, signed on March 30 by ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge, the company agreed to conduct an “updated targeted marine environmental baseline studies program to develop a robust understanding of the marine environment within the Area of Influence (AOI) of the Yellowtail Project.”

To that end, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)- the subsidiary of ExxonMobil- was required to, within 60 days of receiving the Permit, submit the Terms of Reference (ToR) or the scope for five different environmental studies.

The assessments that were ordered by the Permit includes a Benthic Habitat and Fauna Study; Sediment Quality study; Marine Water Quality Study; Fisheries Stock Assessment and Impacts; Ecosystems Services and Dependencies and any other baseline study or social study that may be determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The oil company was reluctant to say whether any additional studies have been ordered and noted that additional questions should be directed to the EPA. Kwesi Isles, a Media Relations Advisor at ExxonMobil Guyana would only say, “We have submitted the Terms of Reference for the various studies required. Two of them have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and are being progressed. The remaining studies will start once the requisite approvals have been secured.”

He clarified that the two approved studies, “being progressed” are for the Fisheries Stock Assessment and Impacts Study and the Ecosystems Services and Dependencies Study.

Even though fisherfolk across the country have been complaining of lower fish catch, the government has been defending the oil company, insisting that the offshore operations were not to be blamed, but rather climate change.

In fact, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat only last week stood in Parliament arguing that the oil company’s operations should be forcing fish into fishermen’s nets.

Bharrat sought to put in perspective that ExxonMobil is operating some 100 miles off Guyana’s coast, in a depth of over 5000 feet of water. To this end, he reasoned, “Mr. Speaker it’s hard to fathom that we have the kind of fish that we would catch in Guyana swimming and feeding in 5000 feet depth of water. I think it is almost impossible to do so.”

In this regard, Bharrat said it would not be justified to blame the oil production activities for the decline in fish catch. “I don’t think it’s quite justified, as a matter of fact and based on my own layman argument- and I often give this argument to people when I am speaking that- if the drilling and the exploration activities offshore 100 miles out, 5000 feet deep and you have exploration activities’ vibrations, what should happen based on our commonsense is that it should actually chase these fishes closer to shore, into the nets rather than away,” Bharrat pointed out.

Earlier this year, complaints of declining fish catch had triggered an assessment of the situation by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The study, though handed over to the government, is yet to be shared with the public. So far, the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha has noted that the reduced fish on the markets was not as a result of Exxon’s operations, but rather climate change. It was back in May that the Minister made this announcement and promised to release the document, but to date the study has not been shared. In the meantime, the FAO after being called upon by Environmentalist Simone Mangal-Joly to release the document, explained that the study was “rapid” and used information that is already available.

FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr. Julio Berdegue, in his response seen by Kaieteur News told Mangal-Joly that “The technical analysis in question was requested by Guyana to contribute to its understanding of these complex catch issues and support decision-making. It is a rapid assessment of reported issues related to fisheries catch between 2020 and 2021 and is based on available data.”

To qualify the conclusion, Berdegue added that “as a specialized agency of the United Nations, FAO adheres to strong scientific principles, and employs the highest professional standards in analyzing and disseminating available data. We are globally respected for practicing impartiality, transparency and accountability in our work, and we promote neutral fora for national dialogue and evidence-based decision-making.”

He therefore assured that when the report is ready and cleared in its final version, it will be made available through appropriate channels. In response, the environmentalist reasoned that, “You have clarified here that your charge from the Government of Guyana was to conduct an assessment related to fish catch between 2020-2021.This narrow focus and time period, and the fact that you refer to it as a “rapid assessment”, suggests to me that the study could not have been seeking to assess the impact of oil and gas activities on fish stocks and the fisheries sector in Guyana.”