A number of civil society activists have written to Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley urging that she take the lead in convening CARICOM leaders and experts in determining the risks posed to the Caribbean by what they described as the “reckless pace” of oil exploration in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The March 27 letter to Mottley enclosed a map prepared by ERM, the consulting firm that has done all of the Environmental Impact Assessments for ExxonMobil’s well-drilling programmes.
The letter signed by Alfred Bhulai, Janette Bulkan, Dennis Henry, Jerry Jailall and Darsh Khusial among others warned that “Even a small oil spill would bespoil the Caribbean Sea and threaten the livelihoods of fishers and the tourism industry, not to mention the harms to marine life and ecosystems. We draw to your attention the limited capacity in the Guyanese regulatory bodies to exercise oversight of the offshore oil industry, which imperils the entire Caribbean’.
