Disruptions to Fishers' and Farmers' Livelihoods by Shwe Gas Project

Disruptions to Fishers' and Farmers' Livelihoods by Shwe Gas Project

The Onshore Gas Terminal located in Prine Sate Kay village, Kyauk Phyu Township

“We don’t want projects that will make our future disappear,” said a villager in Made Island. People in Kyauk Phyu township have long been suffering the impacts of Shwe Gas pipeline project since it was started in 2009. The livelihoods of fishers and farmers have been disrupted by Shwe Gas Project since farmers have faced land confiscation for the construction of pipelines and fishers have lost their fishing grounds and fishing nets resulting in decreased income leading to others social impacts such as children drooping out of the school and migration to others places to find for jobs.

Farmers faced land grabbing from the government when the pipelines were constructed and some farmlands were destroyed by chemical and others kinds of waste from the pipeline construction. In consequence, people lost their farmlands which is the main source of income for them and one example of the impacts of this loss is on children’s education. One interviewee mentioned that there is no one in the village who can send their children to high school (Grade 11). Moreover, the villagers did not receive compensation for the destruction of their land by waste materials which were dumped during pipeline construction, so people have been asking for compensation to the township administration department of Kyauk Phyu till 2017.

People in Made Island cannot catch fish freely like before because of international shipping route makers along the river. When they catch fish in the river, fishing nets get stuck with the makers and destroyed. As a result, they lose their fishing nets as well as are unable to catch fish. In  addition, when the big ships carrying oil from Middle East and African countries enter into the river, fishers in the river have to quickly escape by leaving their nets. According to one fisherman on Made Island, 60% of fishers have already encountered losing their nets leading to decreased income for their families.

Lastly, both farmers and fishers have faced changes in jobs due to the disruptions of their livelihoods by the project. Most people living in the project affected area can do only farming and fishing for their livelihoods traditionally. So if they have no land for farming, they have to work as farm laborers on others’ farmlands or work as daily wage workers. In some cases, they migrate to other places such as Yangon, Thailand and Malaysia to find other jobs by separating with their families.

                

 Therefore, it is important to notice that people has been facing negative consequences of the Shwe Gas project, especially fishermen and farmers. The government should take into account these impacts to the community by providing compensation and remedies to the farmers who did not receive enough or no compensation from land destruction. The government should also create and implement effective laws and policies in order to protect local fishers who normally do small scale fishing.