As part of compensation by Yemen LNG, Fish aggregation devices installed in Balhaf, but residents still complaining [Archives:2007/1054/Health]
May 28 2007
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After Yemen Liquefied Natural Gas (YLNG) selected Shabwa governorate's Balhaf area for its company's location, the area's fishing environment was affected and residents began facing problems related to compensation and laborers' jobs.
Area fishermen are demanding fair compensation, as they were banned from fishing around Balhaf and kept from their boat shelters in the area surrounding the company.
Although the liquefied natural gas project represents a large portion of Yemen's income, Balhaf residents stress that their problems should be resolved properly, as the company has affected them greatly, both as fishermen and landowners. For this reason, the firm has implemented a program to provide area fishermen with a replacement fishing environment by installing fish aggregation devices and establishing breakwaters.
However, controversy continues regarding compensating landowners whose properties the company consumed either for construction or extending gas pipelines.
Last Wednesday, YLNG installed fish aggregation devices in the company's nearby sea area in an attempt to provide a more convenient environment for fish and, hence, help fishermen obtain their living more easily. In addition to YLNG representatives, Shabwa Governor Ali Mohammed Al-Maqdashi, and Abdulmalik Alamah, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Minerals, attended the launch ceremony. The program is part of the company's fishing infrastructure compensation program.
“This program is part of Yemen LNG's programs concerning the fishing communities around Balhaf. It aims both to offset the loss of Balhaf Bay and provide an important legacy for the future,” YLNG Deputy General Director Faisal Haitham explained.
Haitham revealed that while fish aggregation devices are an innovative idea in Yemen, similar programs have been established in the Indian Ocean and represent an important source for the livelihoods of fishermen in that area.
He also confirmed that the program is a trial for a short period of time and if it succeeds, other devices will be installed. “In just three months, we'll have a good idea about how successful these devices have been. If this trial follows the path of such replacements in other parts of the world, this could well become an important source for Yemen's fish wealth in the future,” Haitham noted.
So far, three devices have been installed in the waters near Balhaf. The first device is 500 meters deep, the second is 160 meters deep with the third is 50 meters deep. Fishermen say they're concerned about the devices, the failure of which will cause numerous problems, particularly as they depend totally upon fishing as their only source of income.
Hilal Al-Riyashi of the Environmental Protection Authority explained that the devices will provide a good environment for fish to lay their eggs and small fish will aggregate around the location of the devices. Consequently, when larger fish come to eat the small ones, the location of the devices will be a source of fish aggregation.
Al-Riyashi disclosed that while the devices are important in helping area fishermen catch fish offshore instead of on Balhaf shore, which was banned by the company, it's difficult to provide an environment for coral reefs such as those in the waters near YLNG.
However, Haitham maintains that coral reefs in the sea near the company aren't subject to any damage, but that the company is tackling any affects that may occur to the reefs during construction.
Another YLNG project to compensate area fishermen is constructing breakwater in Jila'a, located some 7 km. west of the Balhaf coast. The breakwater is intended to provide fishing boats shelter during monsoons. Breaking the force of waves in the area will create calm water onshore where fishermen can pull up their boats. Depths behind the breakwater gradually will decrease from 8 meters to 1 meter toward land.
Still, area fishermen maintain that what the company has done for them doesn't suffice their needs or compensate them for their loss, as they had one of the best fishing environments on the Yemeni coastline before YLNG came to the area.
Additionally, Balhaf residents are complaining about compensation for their lands, maintaining that YLNG implemented a compensation program for all of those affected in the area. In this regard, residents affirm that some lands were used for the company's premises while others were used for gas pipeline extensions.
Haitham confirmed that compensation for land will be done in coordination with the government, not with residents directly. He revealed that $40 million has been allocated for this purpose, affirming that his company intends to fairly compensate all of those whose properties it used. He further noted that such compensation isn't restricted only to Shabwa residents, but also to some Marib residents whose lands were used for pipeline extensions.
“A supreme compensation committee was formed based on a Cabinet resolution to determine the extent of the effects and fair compensation,” he explained, adding, “The committee is being chaired by Alamah, the governors of Shabwa and Marib, the general directors of oil in the two governorates and other representatives from incumbent government authorities.”
Haitham further indicated that the amount of compensation depends on the extent of the effects, noting that some types of compensation are permanent, whereas others are temporary. “Concerning compensation for land consumed by pipelines, residents' property is limited in the sense that they can use their land for agriculture, but not for construction,” he pointed out.
Additionally, Shabwa residents maintain that YLNG isn't offering them employment opportunities, although they should be given priority when filling the majority of job vacancies. As a result, some residents have had problems with the company.
According to Abdullah Saleh Afeef, a member of the General People's Congress office in Shabwa, local citizens have hijacked approximately four company cars, not because they wanted the cars, but because YLNG didn't employ them. In this regard, Afeef stated that the governorate's labor office should be held responsible because it's neglecting citizens' rights regarding the company's job vacancies.
“The company doesn't have the right to employ anyone without coordinating with and approval from the labor office here in Shabwa. However, some workers are employed through labor offices in Sana'a and Hadramout while others are employed via YLNG subcontractors,” Afeef pointed out, adding that the company also rents cars with drivers from other governorates, despite the fact that there are cars to rent and drivers in Balhaf.
As a result of such problems, Balhaf residents have formed a committee to demand their rights from YLNG, mainly compensation for those whose lands were affected by it, compensation for fishermen and jobs in the company.
According to committee member Abdullah Ali Al-Sallal, the fishermen's problems partially have been solved by the breakwater, which provides safe boat docking. The other two demands regarding compensation for land and employing locals haven't been solved, although they've received promises from both YLNG and the Yemeni government.
“Approximately 50 laborers from among area residents were dismissed under the pretext that the company needs technicians. From time to time, we discover that it employs laborers from other governorates with the same qualifications as local residents,” Al-Sallal complained.
He further added that YLNG sent 21 Balhaf students to Sana'a to study English and computer science so they could fill secretarial jobs within the company.
“When they arrived in Sana'a, only one was accepted and the others were fired on the pretext that they couldn't speak English, despite the fact that the company had sent them there to study English and computers,” Al-Sallal recounted.
Other demands by Balhaf residents relate to infrastructure projects such as electricity, potable water, health facilities and schools. Alawi Ahmed Malhoof, a member of the residents' committee, maintains that both the Yemeni government and YLNG should cooperate to provide such projects for locals.
“We urged the government to provide us with these projects, but to no avail. We now demand YLNG provide us with electricity from its power,” he said, adding, “We're deprived of everything, although we live amid two huge projects: the Al-Nishaimah oil project in Hadramout governorate and the liquefied natural gas project here in Balhaf.”
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