[Coral-List] Oil exploration in San Andres, Colombia

[Marion Howard]

To add to the recent information about the oil exploration leases
inside the Seaflower MPA, southwestern Caribbean, awarded to
Reposol-YPF and Ecopetrol by Colombia’s National Agency of
Hydrocarbons (ANH), a number of blocks (78) were auctioned in June
2010 for exploration in Colombian waters, of which two are located
inside the Seaflower MPA.

The MPA is internally divided into three contiguous management
sections, creating a regional MPA system. The MPA's total area is
65,000 km2, with 20,213 km2 included in the two leased blocks (known
in the leases as Cayos 1 and Cayos 5).

Cayos 1 covers 944,012-hectares (9,440 km2) in the MPA Northern
Section and includes Quitasueño Bank (traditional name Queena), the
largest coral structure in the San Andres Archipelago at 60 km long
and 10 to 20 km wide with a 40-km reef wall, 496 km2 of live coral
coverage, and a reef shelf area of 1,276 km2; along with ocean area
that has never been studied. This lease grants exploration rights.

Cayos 5 is in the MPA Central and Northern Sections and covers
1,077,350-hectares (10,773.5 km2). The lease for this block allows
exploration, to be followed by a "hydrocarbon development or
production stage." Cayos 5 includes the entire Old Providence barrier
reef, which is 32 km long with an area of 255 km2; Old Providence
(Isla de Providencia) and Santa Catalina coastal waters, with an
insular shelf of 298 km2; and substantial open ocean that has been
little researched to date but is known to contain grouper spawning
aggregation sites and sea mounts.

Two days after CORALINA submitted the Accion Popular, ANH suspended
exploration until they have met with representatives of the island
communities to communicate how the exploration will be done and
explain about the environmental safeguards that will be in place.

Understanding that the temporary suspension does not suggest revoking
the licenses or banning oil exploration in the MPA, CORALINA has not
withdrawn the Accion Popular against the ANH.

Marion W. Howard
Senior Lecturer in Sustainable International Development
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts 02454   USA
E-mail mwhoward at brandeis.edu
Tel. 781-736-3794    Fax 781-736-8366

Environmental Advisor
CORALINA
San Luis Road, The Bight
San Andres Island
Colombia



On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 11:17 AM, Arrecifes de coral
<corales2006 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Yes, The Seaflower Marine Protected Area, was judged to have protected a "vast territory" of ocean while helping fishermen make a better living. It is certainly a pity that current decision makers were not considering the value of coral reef protection. The Foundation ICRI Colombia in Pro of Coral Reefs has written a petition to the Colombian President so the oil exploration is avoid close to the MPA and the Reserve of Biosphere. We all know the impacts of oil spills!!!
>
> Nohora Galvis
>
> Directora Ejecutiva
> Fundación ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative) Colombia en Pro de los Arrecifes Coralinos
> http://icri-colombia.blogspot.com/
>
>
>
> Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:58:32 -0800
> From: southern_caribbean at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Oil exploration in San Andres, Colombia
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov; corales2006 at hotmail.com
>
>
>
>
>
> Isn't this the MPA that received the IYB 2010 prize in Nagoya as the best implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity?
>
> Pity.
>
>
>
> Milton Ponson, President
> Rainbow Warriors Core Foundation
> (Rainbow Warriors International)
> Tel. +297 568 5908
> PO Box 1154, Oranjestad
> Aruba, Dutch Caribbean
> Email: southern_caribbean at yahoo.com
> http://www.rainbowwarriors.net
>
> To unite humanity in a global society dedicated to a sustainable way of life
>
> --- On Thu, 2/17/11, Arrecifes de coral <corales2006 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: Arrecifes de coral <corales2006 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Coral-List] Oil exploration in San Andres, Colombia
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Date: Thursday, February 17, 2011, 10:31 AM
>
>
>
> Our Foundation leads the Initiative for Colombian Coral Reefs http://icri-colombia.blogspot.com/ We reject the Oil exploration in San Andres, Colombia. The proposed site
> is a marine protected area (MPA) with coastal and marine ecosystems
> including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, beaches, and deep
> water. The Minister of Environment, Housing, and Territorial Development
> declared the Seaflower MPA in January 2005. It is the first MPA in
> Colombia, the largest in the Caribbean region, and among the largest in
> the World. The MPA is part of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, declared
> a member of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO's Man and
> the Biosphere (MAB) Program in 2000.
>
> --
> Cordial saludo,
>
> Nohora Galvis
> Directora Ejecutiva
> Fundación ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative) Colombia en Pro de los Arrecifes Coralinos
> NIT 900244099-0
> Calle 97A No. 60D-88 Bogotá
>
> http://www.reefcheck.org/newsletter/072010/#9
> http://icri-colombia.es.tl/
>
> Punto Focal ICRI para Colombia por la Sociedad Civil Iniciativa Internacional para los Arrecifes Coralinos
>
> http://iyor.org/focalpoints/countries/colombia/default.asp
>
>
> "Antes de imprimir Piensa si es necesario, cuida el Medio Ambiente"
> <><
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>
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