Historic compensation for fishers in the Niger Delta

Today we bring you some good news. Around 15 thousand fishers in Bodo, Nigeria, are set to receive compensation from the multinational Royal Dutch Shell for damage caused by oil spills that occurred in the Niger Delta between 2008 and 2009.

The news comes from the Nigerian subsidiary of the oil giant, according to which the corporation has agreed to take responsibility for two operations that failed disastrously. In Bodo, a quantity of oil greater than the equivalent of 500,000 barrels poured into the mangrove forests, causing serious damage to thousands of hectares.

It is anticipated that Royal Dutch Shell will pay a total of $84 million – one of the most substantial compensation amounts for an entire community seen in the history of environmental disasters. A particularly positive element is that the money will go directly into the pockets of individual fishers.

Shell has also said that it will help with the clean up of the polluted area in the coming months. Although better late than never, the three years taken to get to this point has obviously had a impact on peoples’ health and the local economy. For example, according to a report by Amnesty International the people of Bodo have experienced headaches and eye problems. At the economic level, the fishers have had to invent other sources of income, while a primary food source was literally destroyed with contaminated water.

Translated from original article posted by Slow Food Italy: www.slowfood.it

Photo: BBC