Green House, a non-governmental organization, urged the government to suspend preparatory operations for the arrival of a 3D seismic survey vessel and introduce a moratorium on oil and gas exploration, classifying it as a high-risk project that brings serious devastation effects to the living world of the sea, seismic risks, health risks and the life of citizens, as well as serious degradation for tourism, as the most important Montenegrin economic activity.
In that NGO, the affected local communities still do not have information about what the consequences they are expected to have regarding the risks of sea pollution and induced earthquakes.
Planned research signs a death sentence to fisheries
"Poorly organized public hearings so far have been attended by only a few citizens, while there is no information in the public media giving explanations on the consequences by the Hydrocarbon Agency and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism. Planned research in Bar and Ulcinj, announced in early November 2018, also includes a death sentence for fisheries whose proportions can only be guessed through the fees in several hundred thousand euros offered to fish societies at extremely non-transparent meetings," the Green Home reported.
They explain that during the seismic exploration at sea, the ship slowly moves and pulls a sound pulse transmitter (a series of air guns) behind it.
"3D ships have multiple emitters (usually 4 to 20), three to six kilometers in length, which they are pulling at a distance of 120 meters between each other, which speaks of a vast zone influenced by the aquatic world and marine ecosystems. These sound explosions caused by sound cannons are up to 240 decibels, causing severe damage to marine organisms and leading to drastic migrations or fish kill. Only one sound wave reaches a width of 60 km, so that plankton, marine mammals, fish and other species within this belt, closest to the source, will die from damage to vision and orientation sensors, their organs will crack and the like, while the younger species will be permanently destroyed," the NGO warned.
Fishermen and citizens are blindfolded
As they add, instead of the consequences from oil exploration and construction of oil plants be scientifically examined, and especially their impact on the sustainability and development of the supporting economic structure of society, and in relation to current development strategies and international obligations, fishermen and citizens are blindfolded by examples from Greece's Kavala, no mention is made of the example of Delta Niger, the Gulf of Mexico and other areas that have been forever devastated by the oil and gas pipelines, whose quality of life is below every level.
"No examples of the consequences of oil accidents on exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons, especially in earthquake susceptible areas, could not be heard during public hearings. The awareness of citizens is continuously being brain-washed through some kind of random example of oil exploitation from Greece, and the fact that the length of the Greek coast of more than 13.600 kilometers of open sea is missing, comparing them to our 297 kilometers, in which all our fish farms are concentrated, natural assets, mariculture, archaeological underwater sites, waterways," the Green Home reports.
Citizens, as emphasized in this organization, do not have any guarantees that there will be no oil spills and the destruction of marine biodiversity and the coast. "Montenegro has no equipment and personnel and is not in a position to monitor oil tankers, oil pipelines, converter plants, platforms, raw oil treatment plants, and others. How will it control the operation of international oil corporations such as the ENI that has more than 400 oil spills annually in the coastal area that is highly susceptible to earthquakes?" asked Green Home.
The Constitution of the ecological state of Montenegro is being violated
The government, according to the signing of ecocidal contracts with oil magnates and future research, violates the Constitution of the ecological state of Montenegro, which guarantees that everyone has the right to a healthy environment and timely and complete notification of the state of the environment, the possibility for influencing the decision making on issues of importance for the environment and the legal protection of these rights. "Everybody, and especially the state, is obliged to preserve and improve the environment. The government's future research violates numerous international treaties, including the Paris Agreement, through which we have committed to gradually abandon the use of fossil fuels," concluded Green Home.
Text by CdM, on November 2nd 2018, read more at CdM
