Niger Delta fishermen and affected coastal communities have renewed their demand for the release of $1 billion indemnity fund they said was paid by an insurance company as compensation for victims of the December 20, 2011 Bonga oil spill.
They said the continued delay in disbursing the fund had worsened economic hardship, unemployment, food insecurity and poverty among artisanal fishermen and coastal communities in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo states.
In a statement signed by Omogbemi Jeremiah and Jeje Olamiyeye, community representatives, they said the Bonga oil spill occurred after a rupture at Shell’s Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility, resulting in the discharge of about 40,000 barrels of crude oil, estimated at 6.4 million litres, into the Atlantic Ocean.
The affected fishermen said fishing was their primary source of livelihood before the incident, adding that the environmental damage had disrupted fishing activities and left many families struggling to survive.