The Effects of Oil Rig Decommissioning on the Livelihoods of Fishermen: Lessons from the Saltpond Oil and Gas Field, Ghana.

Decommissioning of offshore petroleum installations is innately risky and adversely affects the livelihoods of fishing communities' dependent on access to the marine resources. However, it remains unclear how Ghana's legislative framework addresses the protection of local livelihoods during the decommissioning of its first offshore installation, the Saltpond Oil and Gas Field. We designed a case study to explore the legislative responses and impact of decommissioning on the livelihoods of fishers in five affected fishing communities in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. The primary data used in this study was through the survey of 191 fishers and interview of representatives of state institutions relevant to this study. We found that Ghana's legislative framework for decommissioning did not adequately address negative impacts on local fishing communities whose livelihoods were greatly disrupted due to these activities. We recommend that detailed guidelines are incorporated in the legislative framework before further decommissioning is undertaken and that the government provide alternative livelihood options to the impacted communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]