▁bad ▁fish ▁to ▁uns us pect ing ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁public . ▁The ▁Niger ian ▁Environment al ▁Rights ▁Action ▁group ▁issued ▁a ▁demand ▁for ▁N 5 1 ▁billion ▁($ 1 0 0 ▁Mill ion ) ▁from ▁Ex x on M obil ▁in ▁Niger ia ▁for ▁their ▁failure ▁to ▁compens ate ▁fish erm en ▁within ▁the ▁coast al ▁areas ▁who ▁suffered ▁dev ast ating ▁losses ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁oil ▁company ’ s ▁expl oration ▁activities ▁and ▁major ▁oil ▁sp ills . ▁Th ick ▁balls ▁of ▁tar ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁sight ed ▁was hed ▁upon ▁the ▁sh or eline ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁oil ▁s lick s . ▁The ▁sp ill ▁has ▁only ▁ex ac erb ated ▁the ▁already ▁growing ▁problem ▁of ▁poll ution ▁in ▁the ▁D elta . ▁The ▁Niger ian ▁government ▁estimates ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 7 , 0 0 0 ▁sp ills , ▁large ▁and ▁small , ▁between ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁BBC . ▁ ▁That ▁is ▁approximately ▁ 3 0 0 ▁sp ills ▁a ▁year , ▁and ▁some ▁sp ills ▁have ▁been ▁le aking ▁for ▁years . ▁V ast ▁sw ath es ▁of ▁the ▁D elta ▁have ▁been ▁seen ▁covered ▁with ▁tar ▁and ▁st agn ant ▁la kes ▁of ▁cru de ▁due ▁to ▁oil ▁sp ills ▁of ▁the ▁past . ▁ ▁C lean up ▁effort ▁Ex x on M obil ▁of ▁Niger ia ▁was ▁c ited ▁for ▁the ▁reported ▁use ▁of ▁dispers ants ▁near ▁the ▁coast ▁to ▁contain ▁the ▁oil ▁sp