Fishermen operating along the Atlantic coastline in Akwa Ibom have attributed the fish scarcity in the state to increased exploration activities and the ongoing maintenance work at the Qua Iboe oil fields.
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Fishermen operating along the Atlantic coastline in Akwa Ibom have attributed the fish scarcity in the state to increased exploration activities and the ongoing maintenance work at the Qua Iboe oil fields.
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The fishermen told SaharaReporters that fish, which hitherto was the cheapest source of protein, had disappeared from the dish of most Nigerians due to the operations of Mobil, the Nigerian Unit of America oil firm, ExxonMobil.
According to them, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), operator of the 960,000 barrels per day capacity Qua Iboe oil export terminal, is embarking on pipeline replacement at the oil fields in the Atlantic Ocean where fishermen equally ply their trade.
The Akwa Ibom Chairman of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN), Rev Samuel Ayadi, lamented that the pipeline replacement process has inflicted a negative toll on fishing activities in the state.
He said that although the fishermen welcomed the maintenance work, which would forestall the frequent oil spills that often affect fishing, it should be carried out with some concern for them, regretting that this was not the case.
“Mobil started the replacement of its oil pipelines last year and the work they are doing there affects us a lot because the ocean where they drill for oil is also our farm, but rather than co-exist with us they prefer to wipe us out,” he said.
He further told SaharaReporters they had expected Mobil to liaise with members of the communities in which they operate so they would know the areas to avoid, but that the oil firm had totally ignored us despite several letters written to them about the situation.
Rev. Ayadi said the oil workers use their vessels and heavy equipment to damage the nets and fishing gear of the fishermen, who would then return home empty-handed.
“The present scarcity of fish and crayfish in Akwa Ibom where the neighbouring states in the south east and beyond source for our products is traceable to the pipeline replacement exercise and the commodity has gone beyond the reach of the common man,” he said.
He also observed that a bag of crayfish which previously sold for N8,000 now goes for between N13,000 and N15,000. He regretted that the trend would continue if nothing was done to assist fishermen who had contended with replacing their nets since the pipeline replacement exercise commenced.
He further accused the oil firm of colluding with security agencies guarding oil installations to scare fishermen away from the area, forcing them to go beyond Nigerian Territorial waters and into becoming targets of Cameroonian gendarmes.
He also said that the association receives daily complaints from between eight and 15 members who have lost their fishing gear as a result of the activities of Mobil. He suggested that the oil firm educate and inform the fishermen of their work schedule to minimise conflict between the fishermen and oil workers who often used security men and their gunboats to scare fishermen away from sea.
Officials of Mobil Producing Nigeria have declined comments on the effect of the maintenance work on the predominantly fishing communities in Ibeno and environs where they operate.
It has also been gathered that the maintenance work has caused a decline in crude oil export from the oil terminal. Recently, following a Federation Accounts Allocation meeting, the Minister of State for Finance, Hajia Yabawa, told newsmen that oil revenue fell to N615.1 billion in March 2011 from N721.7 billion, a shortfall of N106.6 billion. The Minister attributed the decrease to reduced oil production and export due to the maintenance work at the Qua Iboe oil terminal.
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