Dear Editor,
Reference is made to “Fishermen should take Exxon to court” by Dr. Vishnu Bisram for declining catches (Jan 12). It is not often that Dr. Bisram pronounces on Exxon, a shift away from his strong anti-Exxon position during the tenure of the coalition. He must be deeply troubled by the effects of Exxon’s operations on the fishing sector, and the injustice of the contract that led to his call for compensation. The public pays heed to his views; politicians and businesses also get worried when he writes against them. It is a legitimate concern of the fisher folks. They have a right to compensation since Exxon has denied them the right to fish in waters that they fished for decades. My colleagues and I support this proposed class action lawsuit.
As rightly stated by Dr. Bisram, this is an opportunity for a winnable class action lawsuit and to make lawyers famous for taking on the mighty Exxon. It will draw attention of the international community and progressive American groups. It will shame Exxon and the government. It will expose the lopsided nature of the contract to American lawmakers.
The fishing industry will, in all likelihood, be permanently disabled. Consideration should be given for continuous compensation for all displaced industries especially marine based industries. This will serve to improve Guyana’s take into the lopsided contract with Exxon, that gives Guyana 2% royalty, 12.5% profits but pays no taxes, and the government provides all affiliated services for free. The lawsuit for compensation should include a minimum 5% of revenues. This will help to make up for the lopsided contract. And the funds must be designated for the right industries rather than one minister who would abuse it.
The funding for legal fees should come from the government. This would dispel the notion that the government and opposition are agents of Exxon, rather than on the side of the fishing industry and the public. It would be a process of unbiased transparency to allow publicly funded legal representation of the handicapped fisher folks for proper representation.
Sincerely,
Jillian Adams