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issue
108
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july 2005
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sakhalin sickens fish and people
sakhalin environment watch, russia
Since ancient times, the Nivkhi people
have survived by fishing and collecting sea
products on the coast of Sakhalin Island in
the Russian Far East . In the past few
years however, catches have decreased, and
inhabitants say the fish caught can often
not be eaten as they smell of chemicals,
medicine, drugs, or “rotten hay”. Salmon
with oozing ulcers have also been found in
the waters off the coast of Sakhalin .
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What is making the
fish sick? It seems that seventy years
of oil and gas extraction on Sakhalin
have damaged coastal and fresh water
habitats, affecting the ability of fish
to reproduce, and destroying the taste
and commercial value of the fish. |
The Nivkhi are tired of these unhealthy
activities, and along with other island
communities are battling the most recent
proposal by Shell and Exxon for what will
be one of the world's largest integrated
oil and gas projects, including an
underground pipeline through an active
seismic fault.
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The project, awaiting loans from the
European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development and several national
export credit agencies, has received
substantial negative publicity due to
its likely impact on the remaining
population of Western Pacific Grey
Whales. What is less known, however,
is that it will likely worsen the
poverty already faced by local people
on Sakhalin Island by further
degrading their natural resource
base. One community organization has
documented the serious negative
impacts that the project will have on
the water, sewage, housing, medical
and transportation infrastructure on
the island.
Indigenous groups on Sakhalin have
united in protest of the project's
impacts on their native fisheries and
overall livelihoods, as well as the
unwillingness of the corporate
sponsors to engage with them in
dialogue. They are pushing for an
independent cultural impact
assessment and a development fund for
affected people, and have taken to
the snowcovered streets in direct
action.
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more information:
Sakhalin Environment Watch (in Russian)
:
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