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Forging local partnerships
Understanding any potential impact on marine life and the fishing industry that depends on it is vital to producing oil and gas responsibly from the waters off Brazil.
For example, Shell has funded research into the behaviour of humpback whales, which has given scientists unprecedented insights.
Before the research project began in 2001, little was known about the routes they used during their long migration to and from cold waters near Antarctica. Electronic tagging showed the whales regularly swim along the north-eastern coast of South America almost as far north as the Equator. This suggests that part of the whale population remains relatively far from the Campos, Santos and Espírito Santo Basins where most of exploration and production has taken place so far, according to the project’s progress report for 2008.
Watching the whales
Sighting surveys have shown that an estimated 16,000 humpback whales — twice as many as previously thought — spend the breeding season off Brazil. “Such relatively large numbers are an indication that this population is healthy,” says the report.
Shell Brasil funds the project which is managed by a Brazilian non-profit organisation, Instituto Aqualie, with the co-operation of research organisations in Brazil, Denmark and the USA. Research results were published in several scientific journals.
A longer-term research project funded by Shell for 2008-2013 will determine how the whales move relative to areas where oil and gas will be produced off Brazil.
“With all the knowledge about whales’ behaviour and their migratory routes, you can make the right decisions when bidding for licences and in your operations,” says Shell Communications Associate Glicia Gomes who was on a whale monitoring team.
Helping fishermen
Another Shell-supported initiative is helping to conserve the livelihoods of local fishermen.
The sea is central to many Brazilians’ livelihoods — some 80% of Brazilians live within 300 kilometres of the Atlantic Ocean. Among them are the local fishermen of Arraial do Cabo on Brazil’s south-east coast.
In 2006, Shell began to sponsor the development of seafood farms in the region — mainly through funds — as an alternative way for fishermen to earn an income. Associations of local fishermen run the farms, cultivating mussels, oysters and scallops. Sebrae, a Brazilian organisation that encourages small enterprises, gives them technical support. Around 70 local people are directly involved in the project.
“This kind of initiative has the potential to generate more regular incomes because fishermen don't depend exclusively on going out to sea for fishing,“ says Shell Social Performance Adviser Ana Paula Fernandes. “They cultivate their own products. Now that they are producing on a more regular basis, the challenge is related to getting the seafood to market and for a fair price.”
Shell spent about $148 million globally in 2008 on social investment programmes to support local communities.
