- Puerto Rico: Poetry that saved a forest

Many years before there was scientific evidence of the destruction of the environment, the major artists and poets had noted the phenomenon in their essays, songs and poetry. In Puerto Rico, authors such as Enrique Laguerre, Abelardo Diaz Alfaro and Luis Llorens Torres denounced the destruction of our beautiful landscape and valuable natural resources, done in the name of "progress". The well-known poet, Juan Antonio Corretjer observed with great pain the overwhelming encroachment of concrete and the use of poisonous chemicals in Puerto Rican farming.

In his last years on earth, he used to entertain himself riding on horseback along the banks of the Encantado River in the village of Ciales. The Encantado River, although it is not very well known, is one of the great natural marvels of Puerto Rico. Along its stretches there are majestic cascades and pools that served as an inspiration to several of Corretjer's most well know and famous works.

In 1984, during one of his last travels on horseback along the river-banks, the coffee-grower, Tato Rodriguez asked him how he saw the plantation, and the poet answered "It is very nice, but there is no shade." In fact, all the leafy trees and exuberant vegetation had been razed to the ground to plant monoculture coffee, kept productive with the use of insecticides and synthetic fertilisers.

With the years, Don Tato and various colleagues of his became aware of the damage caused by this agriculture, described by some as "modern." "The populations of birds were depleted due to deforestation and the use of chemicals. Then the butterflies disappeared and I even saw lizards die because of the insecticides. This has made me aware: if this happens to these little animals, it must be doing me harm too."

Using Corritjers poetry in combination with the most advanced concepts of ecological farming and environmental protection, Don Tato together with other neighbours from Ciales and citizens from all over Puerto Rico established the Corretjer Forest. It is precisely at Don Tato's old coffee plantation where Corretjer used to ride. The Forest that offers visitors a spectacular view of almost vertical geological formations, consists of some 62 hectares.

The coffee plantation, invaded by weeds is being gradually reforested and replanted with the trees mentioned in Corretijer's poetry, and with numerous native species. "We have planted fruit trees, trees for timber and leguminous plants," we were told by Don Tato. "We have planted capá prieto, guaba, guamá, moca, caimito, maricao, citrus, maga, teak, ausubo, cedar, royal palm, moralón and carbonero."

It is not a simple plantation of trees but the creation of a complex, healthy and productive ecosystem, providing jobs and food and serving as an eco-tourist resource. Since the project for reforestation was started and the use of chemical products has been stopped, the birds and pollinating insects that had disappeared were returning. "The singing bees are already back, we had not seen them for a long time," Don Tato told us "the sanpedritos, which are like miniature parrots and only live in caves, had gone, but since we stopped using chemicals they are back. Once again we can hear the mucaros at night."

The Forest is a primordially educational project. Since last year, hundreds of children from schools in the different villages have visited it to plant trees and learn about environmental protection and Corretjer's poetry. All the trees are planted by children.

"We prepare educational modules inspired by Don Juan Antonio Corretjer and the landscape of Ciales which moved him to write those poems," explained Marta Nuñez, Don Tato's wife. "This is done with the endorsement of the superintendents and directors. We take the modules to schools, the children between kindergarten and fifth grade study them, and then we take them on excursions to the Forest to plant trees."

"It is wonderful to see the first grade boys and girls planting the trees so tenderly, that healthy, clean look, that has not yet been contaminated, and how they touch those roots."

"The children plant trees and I plant guineo which helps to control weeds and improves the soil," said Don Tato. "You talk to them of trees and what each one is good for. For example, the capa prieto, you explain what it is, how it flowers and what its timber can be used for."

Nuñez emphasised the importance of the cultural component of the Forest. "We have been gathering our folklore that was disappearing and which is not taught at schools. The experience is so good that when the teachers say good bye, the say 'please invite us back next year'."

By: Carmelo Ruiz Marrero, e-mail: carmelo_ruiz@yahoo.com , version adapted by the author of the article published in Claridad on 29 November 2002.

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- Honduras: Shrimp farmer as "offical delegate" to Ramsar

On 23 November, 2002, at the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention for the conservation of wetlands, held in Valencia, Spain, the Honduran environmental organisation, Committee for the Defence and Development of Flora and Fauna in the Gulf of Fonseca (Comité para la Defensa y Desarrollo de la Flora y Fauna del Golfo de Fonseca - CODDEFFAGOLF), denounced serious irregularities that involve its country's official representation, discredit the Ramsar Convention and undermine attempts to conserve mangrove forests, lagoons and other coastal wetlands.

The biologist and environmentalist, Jorge Varela, Executive Director of CODDEFFAGOLF, publicly denounced in Valencia that the "Government of the businessman, Ricardo Maduro, President of Honduras and an important shareholder in the shrimp-farming company known as Granjas Marinas San Bernardo (GMSB), did not pause to consider the international discredit he was exposing his country to when he had the audacity to send an employee of the much questioned shrimp farm, GMSB, to the International Ramsar Convention for the Conservation of Wetlands and allow him to submit a Draft Country Resolution to the Working Group on Mangroves, that had not had the consensus of civil society nor had it been approved by the Government."

Subsequently, Varela denounced this fact in his country, and a newspaper asked the President if those allegations were true, but he did not answer. However, the Honduran Association of Shrimp Farmers (ANDAH), took on the authority to do so, freeing the President of the Republic, ANDAH and GMSB itself, from responsibility. Therefore the responsibility falls on the "Official Delegate of Honduras" and the Ramsar Secretariat, particularly Ms. Margarita Astralaga who, from the beginning of the Convention was aware of Varela's complaint.

Varela affirms that it has been verified that the "only 'Official Delegate' sent by Honduras lacks experience and knowledge of wetland conservation and does not work with the Government, representing an offence to the country's state bureaucracy, as it is logical to suppose that there are officials having the necessary conditions to offer a worthy representation and who have been ignored and excluded from a very important process for the conservation of ecosystems of mangroves, lagoons, coral reefs, sea grasses, etc. Furthermore, the Honduran 'Official Delegate', Hector Motiño submitted a 'Draft Country Resolution' to a Working Group, which essentially seeks to benefit the discredited shrimp industry in Honduras, proposing policies and requesting funds aimed by the international community at the conservation of wetlands and the search for their rational use."

The denunciations point out that the 'Draft Country Resolution' "was not prepared publicly by the Government, or by civil society or by Honduran NGOs, but has probably been prepared in secret by consultants hired for this purpose, who in the 'Project' only refer to the mangrove ecosystems and 'industries' established there, ignoring that Honduras has different and important wetland ecosystems."

The impacts of shrimp aquaculture on mangroves are known and consented to by the government of Honduras and, according to Varela's accusations, "by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat itself, whose official, Margarita Astralaga had already expressed her inclination towards the industry and particularly GMSB. Furthermore, the Resolution passed at the Seventh Conference of the Parties in 1999, instructing Governments to halt the expansion of shrimp farms in wetlands until studies recommending measures to mitigate and neutralise the negative impacts on local communities and the environment, is being violated."

The response to these complaints has been equally suspect. The Honduran Association of Shrimp Farmers (Asociación de Camaroneros de Honduras - ANDAH) has insulted, defamed and threatened Varela and the CODDEFFAGOLF authorities, re-launching old accusations against them, which they publish when this type of situation occurs, but never take to the competent courts, as they are false and their only aim is to cause discredit. Are they trying to distract attention from the irregularities that led to the shrimp industry having the right to vote at the Ramsar Convention and taking up a position --as Government of Honduras-- contributing to a true Resolution in favour of the conservation of mangrove forests, lagoons and other coastal wetlands not being adopted? This Resolution had been requested by NGOs struggling all over the world against the expansion of shrimp farms in these ecosystems.

The lack of response by the authorities has led Honduran society to ask: "President Maduro, is CODDEFFAGOLF's accusation true?" There are other key questions asked by CODDEFFAGOLF that are still pending and that should be answered both by the Honduran authorities and the Ramsar officials if they want the Convention to maintain its credibility: "Who accredited a GMSB employee as the Honduran Government's Official Delegate to the International Ramsar Convention, and what guarantee gave him the audacity to submit a "Draft Country Resolution" that had not been approved by the Government?"

In the meanwhile, industrial and unsustainable shrimp production continues, implying the felling of mangroves, destruction of lagoons and other wetlands to build breeding ponds and the contamination of estuaries. While for the local communities, the installation of shrimp farms has brought with it the loss of access to their traditional sources of food, firewood and income and lack of respect for their human rights, leading to 12 murders of fishers and various other people injured by bullets in events related to the shrimp farm security officials, that have gone unpunished. For the environment, this uncontrollable industry has other impacts: the loss of tropical forests that absorb green-house gases during the year, contributing to lessen global climate change, the loss of habitats for the native migratory birds; it has also involved the loss of an ecosystem protecting the coast from erosion and tropical storms, capturing sediments and contributing to maintaining the coral reefs, essential to local biological diversity, as mangroves are sites where most of the fish spawn, hosting plants and animals only to be found in mangrove ecosystems.

Article based on information from: "¿Será cierto presidente Maduro?, Ramón W. Nuila, La Tribuna, Honduras, 12 December 2002; "Vergüenza internacional", Convención Ramsar, COP 8, CODDEFFAGOLF, Valencia, Spain, 23 November 2002, http://www.redmanglar.org/noticia28.htm ; "¿Corrupción en la Convención Ramsar?", open letter from Jorge Varela Márquez, Executive director, CODDEFFAGOLF, to colleagues, members, friends, sympathizers, and members of the Ramsar Convention, sent by the author, e-mail: cgolf@sdnhon.org.hn