Ghana’s fishing communities fear oil spills…
…And rightly so.
Yesterday I wrote that Ghana has been producing oil from its offshore Jubilee field since December 2010, yet still lacks monitoring vessels, equipment and personnel.
Something else that’s missing: funds to compensate fishing communities in the event of a spill.
This video recounts the fears of the residents of Abuesi, a small fishing community near Sekondi-Takorad (a.k.a. “Oil City”). Travel up and down the coast, and you’ll hear the same fears echoed again and again.
What will happen when a village that is entirely dependent on its fishing operations for its survival is shut down by an oil spill?
Sea Change
Vietnamese oyster po-boy. Photo by Lisa Cates
I recently came across this fascinating article about the efforts of Gulf Coast Vietnamese Americans to rebuild their lives and livelihoods after the BP oil spill. Like all those who worked in the Gulf seafood industry, the Vietnamese fishing community has been hard hit. Facing compensation battles, diminished fish stocks and an uncertain future, many are turning from the sea to the land in search of new opportunities.
The article, Sea Change, by Nina Kahori Fallenbaum, with photos by Lisa Cates, is in the current issue of Hyphen magazine.
You can read the entire article online. Check it out. The BP spill is already ancient history as far as the oil industry is concerned. But for those whose livelihoods depended on fish and seafood, there’s no more normal.
Edlove Quarshie, R.I.P.
Edlove Quarshie, 2011. Sekondi Fishing Harbour. Photo by Christiane Badgley
Ghana’s fishing community has lost a passionate defender.
Edlove Quarshie, fisherman, activist and officer in Ghana’s Line Hook Canoe Fishermen’s Association has passed away. I heard the terrible news today in Takoradi. I wanted to talk to Edlove about the new drilling operations and learned that he died in Accra a few days ago. There have been seven new oil discoveries in the Western Region in the past months; drilling is now moving full speed ahead at three wells. For the fishermen, this means more no-fishing zones and, possibly, more conflict.
Abuesi
Drying fish. Photo by Christiane Badgley
Imagine a place where fishing is the only game in town. Then imagine just how nervous the residents must be about offshore oil drilling.
The place is Abuesi, a small town at the water’s edge about 30 minutes down the road from Takoradi.
Abuesi, Western Region, Ghana. Photo by Christiane Badgley
