Document Actions
Stop Kenya's 2nd Port from Devastating SeaTurtles & Dugong!
Speak out against the irresponsible and reckless plans of the government of Kenya to build an unnecessary second national port in the ecologically sensitive Lamu Archipelago!
Speak out against the irresponsible and reckless plans of the government of Kenya to build an unnecessary second national port in the ecologically sensitive Lamu Archipelago!
Mangrove forests are the first line of defense against sea level rise associated with global warming. To build this port, the relatively pristine mangrove forests in the Lamu region would require extensive felling just at a time when mangroves are critical for long term coast line stabilization. Construction of the second port is estimated to extend over 1,000 acres in this relatively pristine area of the Kenyan coast and includes plans for an oil refinery and terminal, international airport and railway track to Southern Sudan. The tremendous devastation to the people and wildlife under such plans can scarcely be imagined.
In 1980, the coastal area just north of Lamu was designated a U.N. Biosphere Reserve in recognition of its international conservation importance. Part of the proposed port site sits at the edge of this biosphere reserve. The environmental impact alone, not to mention the effects on local subsistence fishermen and local farmers, would completely negate the intention of designation of this site to preserve in perpetuity the outstanding biodiversity, natural resources and ecology of the area through management that incorporates the full participation of local people. Construction would also impact two national reserves to the north of the proposed port site. Locals have never been consulted nor environmental impact assessments conducted. Some six thousand families are likely to be displaced by the project. The bay where construction would be focused is known to support corals, sea grass beds and lush stands of mangroves. Several species of sea turtles use these areas regularly in the winter as feeding grounds and many species of reef fish and crustaceans feed here. The importance of this region to a critically endangered species, the dugong (Dugong dugon), is of paramount concern; these creatures rely on shallow sea grass beds exclusively for their survival. The region chosen as the port site has long been known as the last enclave of the dugong in Kenya. Dredging and cutting of the magnitude proposed would have a catastrophic impact on this animal, one of the nation's most threatened species, and virtually ensure local extinction. At a pivotal moment in history when the world faces the threat of climate change, destruction of such an important marine environment for purposes associated with extracting, processing, and transporting more fossil fuels and other goods seems to fly in the face of international protocols aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Tell the Government of Kenya that this site, recognized as a site of international importance, is off limits to development.
