A group in Oron, the Akwa Ibom Famous Fishing Organization (FFO), has described the recent Shell’s Bonga oil spill as a setback to their occupation and marine environment.
Chairman of the group, Johnson Harry, who stated this yesterday while exchanging views with LEADERSHIP weekend in Oron, said that the oil spill had crippled all fishing activities in Akwa Ibom.
Harry dismissed the views canvassed in certain quarters that the oil spill did not affect Akwa Ibom coastline, saying that such views were unscientific.
He said that there was ample evidence to prove the spill impact on the Atlantic coastline in state, adding that the marine environment along the coastline was polluted, compelling members of FFO to abandon their fishing activities.
“The Spill from Bonga oil field is a very big blow to us; the magnitude of the spill compelled us to leave the waters before the regulators instructed fishermen in the Niger Delta Region to stop every fishing related activity.
Life has become difficult since we have not been earning income and our concern is that the impact of the spill left a lot of deposits along Akwa Ibom coastline which is yet to be cleaned up.