27 November 2008

The activities of the Puro Congo shrimp farm are destroying the Majagual mangrove area, known for possessing the tallest mangroves in the world.

This was the conclusion of members of the Spanish NGO, Azacan-Serso Castilla y Leon, during a fact-finding, evaluation and technical follow-up visit to the area.

Jesus Gomez Perez and Karmele Burzaco Foronda, who inspected the zone, detailed that among the activities affecting the mangrove area are:  construction of a cement wall on the beach that is rerouting currents; illegal canals that take water from the estuary in order to feed the shrimp ponds; and the extraction of water by electric pumps.

Halt operations

For them, the way to recuperate the Majagual mangroves is by preventing the shrimp farm in mention from functioning, “given that while the shrimp farm is there, the forest is condemned,” they assured.

Gomez Perez added that they are developing an international campaign. The subject has already been presented to Spanish legislators and there exists a lot of interest in Congress. In addition, they are dialoguing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and currently hope to reach the European Parliament and possibly the United Nations.

Significant loss

The appearance of the shrimp farm has decreased by a significant amount the collection of cockles by locals, threatening their way of life and causing them to migrate away from the area.

“Studies show that shrimp farm production generates about US$18,000 per hectare of mangrove, while artisanal fishing and shellfish collecting (extractivist activities) generate US$188,000 per hectare,” says Gomez Perez.

translated fromt the Spanish by Elaine Corets

Source:  La Hora