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sakhalin resources
UK royal visits project linked to death
of whales
Prince Andrew, a senior member of the
British royal family, may provoke
international criticism this week when he
visits an oil project which threatens to lead
to the extinction of the Western Pacific grey
whale, damage environments and destroy
fisheries.
The Duke of York is due to visit Russia
during the week of April 27 on behalf of the
British Government to promote investment in a
controversial project led by Shell to exploit
the huge oil and gas reserves on the island
of Sakhalin, in Russia's Far East . The
project threatens the last remaining
population of Western Pacific grey whale
around Sakhalin Island.
Only 100 Western Pacific Grey Whales
remain - and environmental organisations,
including Friends of the Earth, along with
campaigners from in the UK, Russia and Japan,
have written to Prince Andrew to highlight
their concerns and ask him to use his visit
to ensure that Shell improves the project
design and guarantees protection of species
and local communities.
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The
Western Grey Whale population off
Sakhalin Island is under threat by a the
proposed construction of a series of oil
pipelines, to be built by Shell and
financed by a number of UK financial
institutions. image: Sakhalin Environment
Watch
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Several members of the Royal family have
previously been noted for their positive
environmental work -- Prince Andrew's father,
Prince Philip, is patron of the World Wide
Fund for Nature, which also opposes the
project.
Prince Andrew is visiting Sakhalin Island
off the coast of Russia in his role as
Special Representative for International
Trade and Investment.
Friends of the Earth Sakhalin Campaigner
Nick Rau said:
"Prince Andrew's support for the Sakhalin
project may undermine the Royal family's long
standing record of working for the protection
of endangered species and the
environment.
"The Sakhalin II Project poses a very real
threat to the last remaining Western Pacific
Grey Whales, an endangered species, and to
the island's fisheries, and puts at risk the
livelihoods of the fishing community on
Sakhalin ."
The Sakhalin II project is being led by
Shell with Mitsubishi and Mitsui and will be
the biggest ever integrated oil and gas
project, and will include the largest liquid
natural gas processing plant ever built. It
has also attracted controversy as it is
proposed to be part-funded by tax payers'
money through the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development.
Background
information and
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