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Unesco nature reserve threatened by scrap ships

9th April 2003 - Today, Greenpeace along with a coalition of International groups [1] have announced their opposition to a proposed shipbreaking yard in the West African country of Guinea Bissau. A Unesco Biosphere Reserve of great natural beauty could be polluted and disfigured if plans to site a shipbreaking yard in Guinea-Bissau go ahead. Spanish shipping companies, presenting the idea as an environmentally sound opportunity for development, have signed an "intention protocol" with the Government of Guinea Bissau to develop a shipbreakers yard and tax free industrial area in the heart of the nature reserve.

"A shipbreaking yard will bring some of the most dangerous substances known to science to Guinea-Bissau, and put the lives and environment of local people at serious risk," said Marietta Harjono Greenpeace toxics campaigner. "We know from experience in India, Pakistan and other developing countries that End of Life Vessels contain hazardous materials and oil residues. The shipping industry must not be allowed to send hazardous waste to developing countries, and especially to a site of such environmental importance. It is remarkable that this project is planned just at the moment that IMO and Basel Convention are preparing an international shipbreaking regulation. This case confirms the urgent need for such a regulation."

According to the agreement between Spanish company "DDY de commercio exterior SA" and the Government of Guinea Bissau [2] the shipbreaking yard would be sited on the island of Bolama, part of the Bijagos Archipelagos. Bolama is an important island of the archipelago, a well-known delicate biosphere, with two national parks within its boundaries. The archipelago was classified as a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 1996. It's known for a diverse range of wildlife, including sea cows, hippopotamus, otters, six species of sea turtles and two species of salt-water crocodiles. There are 700 000 migratory birds and numerous local bird species living in and around the archipelago. Fishing is the major source of income for Guinea-Bissau.

Despite its importance as a nature reserve The International Coalition of Friends of Guinea-Bissau believe the area is attractive to Spanish companies because it is not a signatory of the Basel convention, a treaty that aims to regulate the transboundary movement of toxic goods.

"The people of Guinea-Bissau and their Government are victims of manipulative companies", says Leo Stolk from Novib, Oxfam Netherlands "A shipbreaking yard will mean destruction, not sustainable development for an area protected for its nature. It can only cause harm to communities reliant on the health of the oceans for their livelihood."

In February a public debate attended by press, opinion leaders, government representatives and business people in Guinea-Bissau roundly rejected the establishment of shipbreaking on the bijagos archipelagos. Now the International Coalition of Friends of Guinea-Bissau is calling on the Spanish companies involved, the Spanish Government and Unesco as the guardian of the Biosphere Reserve, to stop the plans to bring shipbreaking to the valuable environment of Guinea-Bissau.

[1] The International Coalition of Friends of Guinea-Bissau consists of Novib (Oxfam Netherlands), Greenpeace, ICCO (Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation), WWF West African Marine Ecoregion (WAMER), Galician Federation of Environmental Organisations, ACEP (Associação para a Cooperação Entre os Povos; association for cooperation between people),The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds - BirdLife, FIBA Fondation Internationale du Banc d'Argui, BAN Basel Action Network.

[2] Although the agreement, signed on 17th October 2002, mentions other areas of future potential cooperation the main subject is the establishment of an "industrial centre for the dismantling of ships". The agreement was signed in Curuña in Spain by Mr DARIO AMOR EDREIRA president of the board of DDY de Comercio Exterior SA and by H.E. FERNANDO CORREIA LANDIM Minister of Commerce Industry and Crafts of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. According to the agreement DDY acts on behalf of another Spanish company "HIERROS EZQUERRO S.A.". The normal commercial activity of "DDY comercio exterior SA", part of the Spanish group MACOGASA D.D.Y., is the import and export of fresh and frozen fish. It operates refrigeration plants in the port of Curuña.