David
Well-known member
A report from Argentina which would otherwise receive little international attention. Many appalling things concerning conservation happen all over the World. Now it happened in Argentina on a scale that went beyond provincial boundaries yet was not enough to cause a national scandal … because it was played down by Salta Provincial governor Mr. Juan Carlos Romero and his clique. Our Interior Ministry, National Parks Administration and Environmental Secretariat made no comments on the matter. A pity.
Here is an on-the-spot summarized view of what happened; and the end of this story which unfortunately to Nature's interests has ended quite tragically despite local protests set by "Greenpeace", the WWF through its local "Fundacion Vida Sivestre" and some high ranking officials and personalities. Here politicians and easy money earnings adjust policies to their needs and arrogantly ignore the opinion of the general public.
In the year 2000 in Argentina's north-western Salta province, a law number 7107 to establish the "System of Protected Areas of Salta" was brought into force. This law encouraged renaturising downgraded ecosystems. Yet on June 23, 2004 the Salta Government sold 16.227 hectares of a total of 25.536 hectares belonging to a Nature Reserve created in 1995 in the Anta Provincial Department. This sale was approved O.K. by the Provincial Congress and the reason for doing so was that the sold area was so downgraded that it was no longer self sustainable. The money obtained from this sale equivalent to USD 3.250.000 is said to be used for finishing paving a couple of provincial roads. The new owners of the land will have the right to clear up what is left of the native forest and use this land for agricultural cropping purposes. The fate of 85 members of a native Wichi tribe named Eben Ezer and another 35 non Indian families living on this land is unknown. Up to now nobody has spoken about any resettlement for them. This reserve was considered to be the only and last protected area in the Sub-Humid Western Chaco and thus was home to a variety of forest trees and animal species not found at other places in the country's Chaco Region. The Wichi is a native tribe that lives in north-western subtropical and tropical forested areas and live according to their traditional way of life. Now they have lost their living quarters and are condemned to a life of poverty and misery. The same applies to other residents. According to many specialists and ecologists and other experts, this area was far from being so badly downgraded that it could not be considered for renaturisation. If left alone, and with a correctly planned management, it would probably have reverted to its former splendour in a few years time. One of the birds that had its habitat there was a parrot very much sought worldwide as a pet, the Amazon talking parrot (Blue-fronted Parrot (Amazona aestiva) (aka Turquoise-fronted Amazon/Parrot). This was a place where these parrots thrived and were looked after by the natives who learned how to keep them safe so as not to lose a revenue they obtained from a limited sale of fledglings. Now all is lost! The protests and pleas have lost their goal too as unfortunately nobody really cared much about this.
This is the sad picture of a situation destroying a bird’s habitat and something that is even worse, leaving people homeless and condemning them to poverty and misery!
From the Proact South American Coordinator, Sergio Corbet.
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david
Here is an on-the-spot summarized view of what happened; and the end of this story which unfortunately to Nature's interests has ended quite tragically despite local protests set by "Greenpeace", the WWF through its local "Fundacion Vida Sivestre" and some high ranking officials and personalities. Here politicians and easy money earnings adjust policies to their needs and arrogantly ignore the opinion of the general public.
In the year 2000 in Argentina's north-western Salta province, a law number 7107 to establish the "System of Protected Areas of Salta" was brought into force. This law encouraged renaturising downgraded ecosystems. Yet on June 23, 2004 the Salta Government sold 16.227 hectares of a total of 25.536 hectares belonging to a Nature Reserve created in 1995 in the Anta Provincial Department. This sale was approved O.K. by the Provincial Congress and the reason for doing so was that the sold area was so downgraded that it was no longer self sustainable. The money obtained from this sale equivalent to USD 3.250.000 is said to be used for finishing paving a couple of provincial roads. The new owners of the land will have the right to clear up what is left of the native forest and use this land for agricultural cropping purposes. The fate of 85 members of a native Wichi tribe named Eben Ezer and another 35 non Indian families living on this land is unknown. Up to now nobody has spoken about any resettlement for them. This reserve was considered to be the only and last protected area in the Sub-Humid Western Chaco and thus was home to a variety of forest trees and animal species not found at other places in the country's Chaco Region. The Wichi is a native tribe that lives in north-western subtropical and tropical forested areas and live according to their traditional way of life. Now they have lost their living quarters and are condemned to a life of poverty and misery. The same applies to other residents. According to many specialists and ecologists and other experts, this area was far from being so badly downgraded that it could not be considered for renaturisation. If left alone, and with a correctly planned management, it would probably have reverted to its former splendour in a few years time. One of the birds that had its habitat there was a parrot very much sought worldwide as a pet, the Amazon talking parrot (Blue-fronted Parrot (Amazona aestiva) (aka Turquoise-fronted Amazon/Parrot). This was a place where these parrots thrived and were looked after by the natives who learned how to keep them safe so as not to lose a revenue they obtained from a limited sale of fledglings. Now all is lost! The protests and pleas have lost their goal too as unfortunately nobody really cared much about this.
This is the sad picture of a situation destroying a bird’s habitat and something that is even worse, leaving people homeless and condemning them to poverty and misery!
From the Proact South American Coordinator, Sergio Corbet.
<...>
david
