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letter from Civil Society Organisations to the RAMSAR Convention Secretary General |
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26 March 2003 Mr. Delmar Blasco, Fax: + 41 22 - 999 0169 Dear Mr. Blasco, RE: THE CASE OF THE DELEGATE OF THE HONDURAN GOVERNMENT TO RAMSAR COP8, VALENCIA 2002, AND THE CONTINUED DESTRUCTION OF THE GULF OF FONSECA (1000TH RAMSAR SITE) We, representatives of local communities, indigenous peoples and NGOs that attended the RAMSAR COP8 held in Valencia, November 16-28th, 2002 and other organisations that have followed with interest the outcome of COP8 and the evolution of the Convention, would like to bring to your attention two issues that we feel very concerned about. 1) Who is responsible for the nomination of a shrimp farm employee as the Head of Delegation of the Government of Honduras to Ramsar COP8? As stated in the "NGO STATEMENT TO COP8 PLENARY, 26 November 2002", which was read in the final plenary and handed to you, the NGOs, indigenous peoples and local communities represented there felt that something disgraceful had been allowed to occur in COP8 that would put the RAMSAR Convention's name and reputation in peril: the infiltration of inappropriate vested interests in government delegations. The case of Honduras was particularly pointed out, as the only official delegate acting as the representative of the Honduran government during the first week of COP8 (November 18-23) is an employee (Mr. Héctor Martínez Motiño) of a very controversial shrimp farm (Granjas Marinas San Bernardo – GMSB) that local fishers communities claim is negatively affecting their livelihoods and the ecology of the Gulf of Fonseca, which is the 1000th RAMSAR site. It was clearly disappointing that some delegates were not there with the intention to promote the wise use and conservation of wetlands, but instead were there to ensure that destructive practices were not effectively dealt with during COP8. This matter was actually raised a few times during the conference, including during a meeting between you and NGOs, indigenous peoples and local communities' representatives in the NGO room on Friday, November 22nd. You acknowledged their concerns and replied that governments have the power to nominate whomever they like in their delegations and the RAMSAR Secretariat cannot do anything about that. Your argument was accepted but it was resolved that more open and transparent processes for the selection of delegates should be devised at the national level. In another instance, during a contact group session, Mr. Héctor Martínez Motiño arrogantly boasted that he was there as official representative of the Honduran government and with your acknowledgement, and brushed aside comments by local fishers communities that he was unfairly manipulating the process in order to keep references to unsustainable shrimp farming out of the resolution under discussion. During the Credentials Committee's report delivered to the plenary session on 23 November, however, Honduras was not listed as having attended the COP, meaning that Héctor Martínez Motiño's credentials had been rejected. What is disturbing is that the main discussions and negotiations over the text of COP8 resolutions were nearly over by 23 November and Mr. Héctor Martínez Motiño had actively lobbied for his company's vested interests by cheatingly passing himself as a government representative during all that critical period, despite the repeated warnings of the NGOs that knew him. The story, however, does not end there. NGOs who had a strong interest in the conservation of the RAMSAR 1000th Site wanted to know how this shrimp farm employee could act as government delegate during almost all of COP8. Between December 20, 2002 and January 9th, 2003, both the Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through official note # 157 DMAO) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (in a TV interview and in a meeting with the Committee for the Defense and Development of the Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca - CODDEFFAGOLF) made clear that the government of Honduras never designated Mr. Héctor Martínez Motiño to represent the country at COP8. CODDEFFAGOLF, a local NGO that has been at the forefront of wetlands conservation in the Gulf of Fonseca, then wrote to you asking an explanation about the nomination of Mr Motiño. On January 28, 2003, CODDEFFAGOLF received the following reply from you: … “This office fulfilled strictly the requirements in vigor and current practice for the accreditation of Mr. Hector Motiño as Chief of the Honduras’ Delegation, based in written communications that we received from the Secretary of State of Natural Resources and Environment, that acts as Administrative authority of RAMSAR in Honduras, and from the Secretary of External Affairs." Your letter continues, saying: “If through your acts you are seeking notoriety, you are getting it, but for a price that I wouldn’t willing to pay”… …. “Finally, let me leave clear that this is the only and last letter I write concerning this issues… don’t waste your time sending me and circulating through all means other accusations and insults, since I won’t respond…” Mr. Blasco, We are extremely concerned to note that there is total contradiction between what the Government of Honduras and you have responded concerning the nomination of Mr Héctor Martínez Motiño as country representative to COP8. It is very sad to conclude that either the Government of Honduras or the Ramsar Secretariat is concealing the truth about this case. As representatives of civil society that have invested a significant amount of time and resources to participate in Ramsar's activities and COP8 in particular, we feel deeply disappointed and betrayed by this case and we strongly request an urgent explanation with unequivocal supporting documents to prove what the truth about this shady case is. We have always considered you and respected you as a very capable leader and one that made possible that issues dear to local communities and indigenous peoples depending on wetlands came onto the Ramsar agenda. We are therefore surprised to read in your reply to CODDEFFAGOLF that you feel insulted by their request for an explanation related to a serious matter such as this controversial nomination of a country delegation. Rest assured that this matter is not only the deep concern of CODDEFFAGOLF, but of hundreds or thousands of communities and organisations that invest strenuous efforts in wetlands protection and sustainable use and put their hopes in the effective and transparent implementation of international environmental treaties such as Ramsar. We therefore trust that you will provide an answer to our question, so that we can continue to nurture our trust in the institutions of the Convention. 2) Expansion of the "El Faro" shrimp farm in the Gulf of Fonseca (RAMSAR Site 1000) We are also very concerned about recent news that the shrimp company "El Faro" is expanding its operations in the Management Area of habitat / species "La Berberia", that is a Protected Area according to Decree 5-99-E of the Honorable National Congress; RAMSAR SITE 1000 according to the RAMSAR Convention; and part of the "Mesoamerican Biologic Corridor". This is allegedly happening with the approval of high government officials in Honduras in charge of forest conservation, fishery and aquaculture, and of the protected areas and environment in general. The expansion of the shrimp farm is threatening the ecological values and services of an important wetland zone for wildlife, migratory birds, wild fish species, as well as the livelihood of thousands of fishers and peasants, negatively affecting their food and income sources. The operations of "El Faro" are already creating social tension in the area, and it is very worrying that the company has started to threaten CODDEFFAGOLF and asked for imprisonment of its outspoken members. We appeal to you to take immediate steps to communicate with the relevant authorities in Honduras to stop the further expansion of "El Faro" and any other shrimp farm inside the Gulf of Fonseca RAMSAR Site. These declared wetlands of international importance must be recovered by the State and restored by those infractors. Also, those local communities and NGOs that are working for the conservation and sustainable management of the wetlands of the Gulf of Fonseca must be protected from the threats of vested interests. It is with deep concern that we would like to bring to your attention that 12 fishermen from the Gulf of Fonseca have been murdered between 1990 and November of 2001 in unpunished crimes that are intimately related with armed guards of shrimp farms which have been consistently trying to displace and expel fishers communities from coastal wetlands. By the same motive, the Director of CODDEFFAGOLF, Jorge Varela and four fishers are in danger of losing their freedom. We strongly request that action be taken to avoid further human rights violations in the future. In conclusion, we feel that what has been happening in the Gulf of Fonseca is in contradiction with RAMSAR Resolution VII.8 "Guidelines for establishing and strengthening local communities' and indigenous peoples' participation in the management of wetlands" and paragraph 15 of Resolution VII.21 “Enhancing the conservation and wise use of intertidal wetlands”:
We deeply hope that immediate steps will be taken to rectify this situation. This letter is signed by 13 promoting organisations and endorsed by 28 organisations and individuals from 20 countries (between March 10-15, 2003). For the sake of easy communication, please respond to: Maurizio Farhan Ferrari Looking forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Sincerely yours, Promoting organisations: Maurizio Farhan Ferrari cc: Excelentisimo Sr. Ricardo Maduro Joest
Dr Nick Davidson Margarita Astrálaga Peter Bridgewater, Porfirio Lobo Government delegations, intergovernmental organisations, indigenous peoples, local communities, NGOs and experts attending COP8 La Tribuna (Newspaper) |
