PROFFERING SOLUTION TO THE WHALE DEATHS IN GHANAIAN WATERS

As oil and gas companies extend their tentacles into the oceans, exploring the depths for untapped hoards of fossil fuel, many marine creatures have come under lethal threat.  The Environmental Impact Assessment of the Jubilee field predicted minor residual impacts on marine mammals and proposed some measures to counter the effect. The situation at hand far exceeds the predictions of the impact assessment. The recent surge in the death of marine mammals, particularly whales is overwhelming and hence requires urgent attention to avoid any impending effect on livelihoods and food security in the West African coast.

Whales and other marine mammals rely on their hearing for life's most basic functions, such as orientation and communication. They rely on sound to navigate and to find food, friends and mating partners. When a sound, thousands of times more powerful than a jet engine fills their ears, the results is fatal. This is the reality that whales and other marine mammals in the Gulf of Guinea are facing because of airguns used for oil and gas exploration. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a New York City-based non-profit international environmental advocacy group, there is no question that sonar injures and kills whales. The case of oil and gas exploration leading to overwhelming whale deaths is not endemic to the Gulf of Guinea. Similar cases have occurred in the Canary Islands, Greece, Madeira, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii and other sites around the globe. Like their counterparts in many countries that have experienced this negative phenomenon, the Ghanaian government agencies responsible for curtailing this ongoing disaster has claimed there are no empirical basis to establish a link between the death of the whales and oil production.

It has become obvious that the mitigation measures proposed by the impact assessment can no longer be relied upon. There is therefore the urgent need for stakeholders to go back to the drawing board in order to formulate better guidelines. Of course, it is impossible to wake up to this reality with the posture  of the agency responsible for curtailing this disaster. The government agency must come out of this insincere ignorance and join the growing international consensus that ocean noise presents a significant threat to marine mammals and other marine species.

Notwithstanding the negative press the oil and gas industry has made on countless occasions; it is one industry that has spearheaded breakthroughs in technology and research. It has created wealth in many countries and improved the lives of many, especially in those nations where the oil and gas wealth is well managed. Talk about research and technology; it is one industry that invests billions of dollars in that area. Nevertheless the industry has to take responsibility for the harm being caused to the environment, it is a fact that some of these environmental issues are inevitable but the industry has to do its best to manage and bring down these disasters to a minimum. One fact worth noting is that these companies are also interested in the welfare of the nations in which they operate

There are numerous relevant international regulations that relate to the growing international consensus that ocean noise presents a significant threat to marine mammals and other marine species and must be addressed. The 1982 United Nations convention of the law of the sea establishes a globally recognized regime dealing with all matters relating to the use of the oceans and seas and their resources. The UNCLOS assigns the fundamental obligation and responsibility for protecting and preserving the marine environment to States, and requires them to adopt and enforce national laws and international standards to prevent, reduce and control ocean pollution from any source. The UNCLOS defines Pollution to include harmful energy, and thus encompasses noise pollution within its mandates.

Also in November 2004, the IUCN-World Conservation Union adopted a comprehensive resolution calling for action by states to reduce the impacts of ocean noise on marine life, which was adopted by consensus. The IUCN is the world’s leading body for conservation policy, consisting of over 70 national governments and more than 400 non-governmental organizations, and the decisions it takes at its quadrennial meetings set the global agenda for conservation over the next four years. The 2004 Resolution recognizes undersea noise as a form of pollution; calls on states to avoid the use of intense noise sources in the habitat of vulnerable species or where marine mammals and endangered species may be concentrated; and urges states to work through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to develop mechanisms for the control of this emergent problem.

Expects have found three main methods in comparative review of Marine mammals mitigation guidelines in oil and gas industry seismic surveys internationally. The three main methods currently used to mitigate the potential impacts on marine mammals during seismic surveys are:

 (1) Implementation of operational procedures (e.g., ‘soft start’—where sound levels are gradually increased over time);

 (2) Detection of animals close to airguns and implementation of real-time mitigation measures (e.g., shut-down),

 (3) Time/area planning of surveys to avoid marine mammals. Detection of animals via real-time monitoring which is not a mitigation measure per se, but an essential component of marine mammal mitigation during seismic surveys (Weir and Dolman 2007).

Many mitigating guidelines propose stringent procedures within sensitive areas and suggest planning surveys to avoid sensitive times/areas. In practical terms, regulatory approaches in line with oil and gas industry procedures may include complete closure of some areas, seasonal restrictions on operations, or limiting operations to daylight hours with visibility suitable for spotting marine mammals. In addition, the services of professional marine mammal specialists may be required and passive acoustic monitoring techniques may be needed to replace what is currently in use (Weir and Dolman 2007).

Brazil is a typical example among many regions where seismic survey closed seasons is clearly defined and implemented. Prohibited areas exist for breeding (July–November) and nesting areas for marine turtles (October–February). Some areas are permanently closed due to their highly sensitive nature. This is reported in Brazilian Environmental Licensing Guide.

In proffering a realistic antidote to the deaths of the marine mammals The Fisheries Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory agencies should join the growing international consensus that ocean noise presents a significant threat to marine mammals and other marine species and hence accept that there are enough evidence to the fact that the surge in whale deaths in Ghanaian waters is as a result of oil and gas exploration. This is a sine qua non to any attempt of mitigation.

References

Spence, J. 2007. A Summary of Existing and Future Potential Treatments for Reducing Underwater Sounds from Oil and Gas Industry Activities. Proceedings OCEANS 2007 MTS/IEEE Vancouver Conference & Exhibition, 2–4 October 2007.

Streever, Bill. 2007. Green Seduction: Money, Business, and the Environment. Jackson, Mississippi: University of Mississippi Press, 210pp.

Weir, C.R. and Dolman,  S. J.  2007. Comparative Review of the Regional Marine Mammal Mitigation Guidelines Implemented during Industrial Seismic Surveys, and Guidance towards a Worldwide Standard. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy 10: 1–27.

ENOCH OFOSU

blessedenoch@yahoo.co.uk

+141 67435319

THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

 I do love the oil and gas industry so much, notwithstanding the negative press the industry has made on countless occasions; it is one industry that has spearheaded breakthroughs in technology and research. It has created wealth in many countries and improved the lives of many especially in those nations where the oil and gas wealth is well managed. Talk about research and technology; it is one industry that invests billions of dollars in that area. Nevertheless the industry has to take responsibility for the harm being caused to the environment, I know some of these environmental issues are inevitable but the industry has to do its best to manage and bring down these disasters to a minimum.

This led me to put up my thoughts on Whale Deaths and Oil exploration in Ghana. This write up on my blog spots has received attention by many platforms, including two local media houses that I truly admire: Myjoyonline.com and the Daily Graphic

1.    1.        (http://graphic.com.gh/features/whale-deaths-and-oil-exploration-in-ghana.html)

2.      2. (http://www.myjoyonline.com/opinion/2013/October-25th/whale-deaths-and-oil-exploration-in-ghana.php)

As I take on more encouragement to continue doing this advocacy for God and Country I want to be careful not to try and defend the oil and gas industry here, but to proceed with the conviction that these companies are also interested in the welfare of  the developing world.

The nature of the oil and gas industry is such that any little accident at any location has a ripple effect on the global oil and gas industry.

My next write up on the issue attempts to tackle the matters looking at it from both perspectives- Making attempt at preferring a mitigation strategy to the Whale deaths as well as sustaining investments in the growing oil and gas industry in Ghana.

I urge you to follow my blog

Thank you.

Enoch Ofosu

Water Resources Specialist

blessedenoch@yahoo.co.uk

Whale deaths and Oil Exploration in Ghana

A dead whale at Ghana's shore

The surge in the death of marine mammals, particularly whales, should serve as a wake-up call because it signals the gradual breakdown of sustainability of the marine ecosystem and if not unraveled would result in a negative outcome for biodiversity, livelihoods and food security.

The situation at hand far exceeds the predictions of the environmental impact assessment of the Jubilee field. The impact assessment predicted minor residual impacts on marine mammals and proposed some measures to counter the effect. According to residence whale deaths were averagely encountered once in every five years but with the advent of oil exploration eleven (11) whales were reported within three years (2007-2010) to have died and washed ashore in the Western Region alone and recently four more have been discovered ashore within a week.

Illustration of Seismic Airgun usage 

Around the world, energy companies are exploring for oil and gas using seismic airguns in sensitive, wildlife filled waters. The issue about seismic air guns in oil exploration is that the sound waves which extend for hundreds of miles bounce off the ocean floor and indicate likely areas for oil. It is the most severe acoustic insult to the marine environment short of naval warfare. This sonic barrage can interfere with a whale’s ability to feed, breed, navigate, communicate and avoid predators — in short, to survive.

If a whale goes deaf, it can’t survive. And repeated blasts (100,000 times stronger than a jet engine) can impair hearing easily. The blasts can drive whales to abandon their habitats, go silent and cease foraging over vast areas. It can cause permanent hearing loss, injury and death for whales.

Oil exploration has direct Impact on Marine Mammals 

The death of the mammals coincides with the commencement of oil extraction and has followed trends with oil exploration around the world. Like their counterparts in many countries that have experienced this negative phenomenon the government agencies responsible for curtailing this ongoing disaster has claimed there are no empirical basis to establish a link between the death of the whales and oil production.

Massive sea Mammal death as a result of oil extraction

According to Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) there is no question that sonar injures and kills whales. Evidence of the danger caused by these systems surfaced dramatically in 2000, when whales of four different species stranded themselves on beaches in the Bahamas. Although the Navy initially denied responsibility, the US government's investigation established that mid-frequency sonar caused the stranding. After the incident, the area's population of whales nearly disappeared, leading researchers to conclude that they either abandoned their habitat or died at sea. Similar cases have occurred in the Canary Islands, Greece, Madeira, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii and other sites around the globe.

If my argument makes sense, then we have clearly made our choice. We cannot hide behind the curtain of ignorance and claim we know not the cause of the impending extinction of this vital species in our ecosystem.

Enoch Ofosu

Water Resources Specialist

blessedenoch@yahoo.co.uk

UNDERWATER LOGGING: THE CASE OF GHANA’S VOLTA LAKE

Underwater log harvesting in the Volta Lake of Ghana

In times when the timber industry is plagued with unsteady prices and the challenges of dwindling forest resources is exacerbated by the woes of climate change, the value of a suitable alternative has come to light: logs inundated through reservoirs creation for decades and long presumed to have been lost.

Underwater logging is the process of harvesting tree crop submerged due to activities such as artificial impoundment of water. When artificial reservoirs and dams are built, large forests are often inundated. Although the trees die the wood is often preserved. The trees can then be felled using special underwater machinery and floated up to the surface. This activity can be quite profitable, since the prime "targets" are decades-old trees of a size and species difficult or impossible to find in their natural habitat. Underwater logging has been introduced in selected locations around the world, including Ghana’s Volta Lake, the largest reservoir by surface area in the world.

While no exact count of these resources seems to exists globally, one estimate puts it at about 200 million trees, a global supply worth about $40 billion. According to a 2004 figures, some 35,000 square kilometers (13,500 square miles) of forest worldwide have already been submerged by dams. These inundated resources have been preserved by water and protected from rot and insect infestation. The resulting high-quality timber is highly sought after the world over. It is estimated that timber resources worth 2.8 billion dollars are locked up under the Volta Lake.

The Volta Basin

 

Canoe transport on the Volta

Since the creation of the Volta Lake in 1964, the 8,515 hectare reservoir has remained a major water transport system. Linking the country’s relatively more developed south to it’s largely subsistence agrarian north. Submerged tree stumps have over the years posed a serious threat to transportation on the lake as several fatal boat disasters have been recorded.

Ghana has lost more than 33.7% of forest cover since 1990 and has a rate of deforestation of 1.68% per annum according to the Forest Resources Assessment conducted by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2010). The forestry sector contributes 6% to national GDP, and wood exports are the fourth highest foreign exchange source for the country. The Forestry Commission of Ghana (2010) claims that drivers of deforestation can be mainly attributed to agricultural expansion (which contributes to 50%), harvesting of wood (35%), population and development pressure (10%) and mining (5%).

Illegal lumbering : picture by TBI-Ghana

Falling volumes in timber in Ghana, coupled with rise in illegal lumbering, has compelled the former net timber exporter to import to augment demand of the industry. The tropical forests of Ghana contain a wide range of timber species suitable for the construction industry, decking, flooring, panels and builder's woodwork. The country brings to the market place legal timber species that have such attributes of intriguing grain structures, broad color palette and natural durability fit for all architectural designs.

Inventory conducted using high resolution sonar -- a technology used to locate objects underwater -- has identified some 100 species of trees, including sought-after hardwoods buried in the lake bed. Logging of rot-resistant hardwoods such as Ebony, Odum, Sapele, Mahogany, and Wawa among others will reduce pressure on Ghana’s forest. Deforestation of tropical forests accounts for about 17% of global carbon dioxide emission. A failure to address this source of emission will significantly compromise global efforts to tackle climate change. Ghana’s forests contain 381 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.

This harvesting of submerged timber is the first of its kind in Africa. The venture which is being executed by Vancouver-based experts, Clark Sustainable Resource Developments (CSRD) is expected to help fight global climate change by sparing the living trees that are needed to absorb carbon. In addition to adding to global efforts in mitigation climate change by retaining forest cover that serves as carbon sink, the initiative will enhance river transport; reduce accidents, and frequent loss of life on the lake while creating employment opportunities for the youth. The venture should rake in some 100 million dollars yearly in foreign exchange and create 1,400 new jobs in the country.

ENOCH OFOSU

WATER RESOURCES SPECIALIT

blessedenoch@yahoo.co.uk