Now Reading
Oil Pollution: Ibeno Fishermen Lament Scarcity of Fish

Oil Pollution: Ibeno Fishermen Lament Scarcity of Fish

…as HOMEF Trains Community on how to Resist Exploitation 

By Emmanuel Sampson

Fishermen and fish pond operators in Okoroutip community, Ibeno local government Area of Akwa Ibom state have expressed worry over the continued oil exploration by the multi-national companies which according to them has caused scarcity of fish in the area.

Fishermen in the area stated this on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 during a training session organized by Health Of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), in collaboration with FishNet Alliance.

One of the fishermen in the community, Mr. Godwin Edet expressed regrets that in spite of the dearth of benefits from oil exploration, frequent oil spills have destroyed their ecosystem, crippling fishing and farming activities in the area.

Participants at the training.

He said “Anytime the oil spill occurs, nets are always stained and contaminated by crude oil and such accessories are no longer usable. We need a lot of assistance from the government and the oil company to provide relief to affected fishermen.”

On his part, Chief John Bassey, a fisherman who said he has over 30 years experience in fishing, thanked HOMEF for the training session and said “the training is an eye opener to us, we thank God for it because we now know our mistakes, and will correct it.”

He listed frequent oil spills, sea piracy, lack of equipment to dry the fishes, access to markets as major setbacks to their businesses. “Once the oil touches the nets, the fish get scared and run to other neighbouring countries”, he said.

Mr. Ime Ben who counted his losses to include engine boats, death among other things, appealed to both the government and the oil multinational to pay compensation to fishermen and affected communities, as it is done in foreign countries and not to play politics, as such would restore the livelihood of fishermen in the area.

He explained that fishermen are the worst hit whenever oil spills occur adding that the spills have caused scarcity and increase in the prices of fish in the state. 

Ben, who described fishing as a major source of income for the Okoroutip community, said that chemicals used by the companies were destroying their businesses. 

Setting the tone for the training, Mr. Stephen Oduware, Project Lead for HOMEF, explained that Fishnet Alliance is a network of fishers aimed at uniting fishers for a common goal across Africa.

See Also

He said “We are in Ibeno to meet fishermen, maritime workers to discuss issues affecting them, how they can organize themselves and demand for their rights, right to a decent occupation, and right to a healthy environment.” 

“We are also using this meeting to mark World Rivers Day, which is celebrated every last Sunday of September, to draw awareness on the importance of the river and how to protect it.

Speaking on Common Challenges Around Fishing and Livelihood and Impacts on Women, Mrs. Emem Okon, Executive Director Kebetkacha Women Development and Resource Center, said the training was organized to empower the people to speak for themselves, build insight of the community to ask for their rights against all form of intimidation and exploitation.

On divestment by the oil multinational, Mrs Okon called for proper restoration of the environment before divestment, calling on the media to am​pli​fy voices of the communities for adequate remediation.

She stressed that all demands must be met in the oil communities with attention to inclusion before the much talked about divestment takes place.

What's Your Reaction?
Excited
0
Happy
0
In Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0
View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top
WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com