Dear Editor,
Reference is made to the front page news `Liliendaal fishers lament low catches’ in yesterday’s SN. There is an assertion that the nascent oil and gas industry is linked to low catches. Ever since oil was explored for, drilled and produced, the fishing catch seems to have declined. The science is not clear. A study is needed.
But the fishermen claimed that vessels supporting Exxon’s operations have prevented fishing boats from operating in the area where they used to catch fish. That, in and of itself, affects fishing and the livelihood of the fishermen. That entitles them to compensation. They should file a class action lawsuit as would be done in the US.
In the US, there are public interest lawsuits and they do win in court. Conservative courts (majority of judges) are not supportive of public interest litigation but liberal judges tend to be pro-environment and supportive of public interest issues. In neighbouring Trinidad, public interest cases tend to win. Guyanese Fenton Ramsahoye won several public interest litigation cases. In Guyana, lawyers should donate their services to public interest litigation. This fish and oil matter can be a test case.
The fishermen should consult with a local lawyer to take their case pro bono. Such a case provides an opportunity for a lawyer to make a big name in a lawsuit against Exxon. They would win and the fishermen would get fair compensation for the rest of their lives if it can be proven that there is an oil exploration impact on their livelihood (low catch). The evidence is clear! It has been established by Marine biologists that seismic blasts associated with oil exploration scare away fish. There are many articles in leading science journals. In my own biology research in the lab, noise and strong waves scare away fish. Exploration seismic waves and drilling noise could be reasons why there is low catch in addition to Exxon preventing fishing boats to fish in rich fish waters. The latter point is justifiable reason why fisher folks and everyone affiliated with the fishing industry (fishing companies, exporters, etc.) should be compensated.
Yours sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram
