[Coral-List] sustain vs. sustainable development
JKoven at aol.com
JKoven at aol.com
Sun Feb 26 18:05:29 EST 2006
Yes, Jim, "sustainable" and "development" ARE oxymorons. It all depends on
what level of income/development the community stakeholders need to produce
from their reefs, absent other income sources. Their choices are often limited
- they can bring in tourists/divers or over-fish, even though that diminishes
or damages the resources.
Reefs provided sustenance for entire island communities for millenia - they
can't now sustain other urban communities with growing populations. The needs
of these stakeholders has changed over the past 50 years - they want to send
their children to schools off-island, they want the same techological
"improvements" in their lives that those in the urban areas have and to catch up with
the 21st century world.
Both climate change and over-fishing have affected many Pacific reefs that
have not been subjected to gross land-based pollution. Nothing the
stakeholders of small islands can do will change the global climate picture and fishing
is part of their culture. The search is on for other ways to sustain the way
of life they wish to have, without further destroying fisheries and thus reefs.
It's interesting that outrigger canoes once sped villagers to other islands.
Then came the diesel powered boats - slower and costly, although one was less
dependant upon weather and perhaps drier upon arrival. Now faster fiberglass
boats are the thing.....they travel as swiftly as an outrigger in a decent
wind, but leave one beholden to the fuel companies. Progress?
Joan Koven
Astrolabe, Inc.
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