The  UK’s OECD national contact point (NCP), which oversees complaints related to corporate conduct with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has ruled admissible a complaint from Senegalese fishers alleging wrongdoing by energy companies in Senegal.      A local NGO and an artisanal fishers’ association assert that the natural gas platform Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) offshore Senegal is polluting their local environment. In a win for civil society, the OECD plans to bring all parties to the negotiating table to find a solution.      “This decision is a major one,” Mamadou Sarr, spokesperson for Gaadlou Guèrri, the association of artisanal fishers that brought the complaint, told Mongabay in a phone call. “It can later help us seek compensation for the losses we have suffered, for the environmental consequences, and for gas leaks,” he added. The OECD is an organization of 38 member states, including the U.K., that have committed to respecting guidelines that cover several areas of corporate responsibility, including human rights, the environment and corruption. GTA is being co-developed by multinational oil company BP, U.S.-based Kosmos Energy and the national oil companies of Senegal and Mauritania. It is located offshore from Saint-Louis, Senegal, near one of the country’s largest fishing communities. The complaint accused the energy companies of denying local artisanal fishers access to the area surrounding GTA, compromising their livelihoods and reducing food availability for local communities. Fish accounts for almost 70% of the animal protein consumed in Senegal. It’s a vital resource for a region facing rising…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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