Ecuadorian Mangrove & Costlines -the next victim

Ecuadorian Mangrove and Coastlines - The Next Victims
Greenpeace International

CONTENTS

Background information
The Law for the Rationalisation of Public Finances
The Ecuadorian Government's Proposal to Privatise the Coast

Background information

Ecuador is the second largest shrimp producer in the world. But the cultivation of shrimp has led this country to lose 53% of its mangrove and coastal areas. Due to the spreading of the Taura syndrome, a viral disease of cultivated shrimps due to poor management, in the south of Ecuador, the shrimp industry has moved north to the region of Esmeraldas. Now, local communities in Esmeraldas, San Lorenzo and Muisne are trying to preserve the tallest mangroves in the world.

The Law for the Rationalisation of Public Finances

(TO BE UPDATED)

During negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Interamerican Development Bank, for a stand-by loan for Ecuador, the President of the Republic, Jamil Mahuad announced plans for the Law of Rationalisation of Public Finances to the National Congress. Among other things, this law establishes the payment of a fee to the shrimp farmers for the use of State-owned lands. The Congress has only 15 days to discuss and approve it.

Newspapers have reported that with this initiative the government intends to sell 60,000 hectares of beach and bay areas in order to obtain 60 million dollars for the State national budget. New concession areas in beaches and bays might be open for shrimp farms.

Although the text of the law project does not explicitly mention the selling of coastal areas to shrimp entrepreneurs, this is how it is being interpreted. The president of the Chamber of Aquaculture told the press: ÒWe will be the owners of the landsÓ.

The Ecuadorian Constitution does not allow the selling of public goods, such as lands in coastal areas. And any amendments to the text of the Constitution are forbidden until August this year. The passing of the Law of Rationalisation of Public Finances will be setting the basis for this selling to be possible from August '99.

This is a fiscal measure that prioritises purely economic interests over the rights of the populations that depend upon the coastal ecosystems.

The power of the shrimp entrepreneurs will increase, worsening the already precarious conditions of lack of control of pollution, salinisation and violation of human rights.

The Ecuadorian Government's Proposal to Privatise the Coast

The Ecuadorian Government is intending to make more land available to the shrimp industry by passing a law contrary to the Ecuadorian Constitution and Civil Code and which could lead to the flouting of a Governmental Decree prohibiting the clear cutting of new areas of mangrove.

This law will mean that more State-owned lands are privatised and unique and irreplaceable ecosystems, which many families depend upon, will disappear in a short period of time.