[Coral-List] A last chance for Indian Ocean reefs?

[Magnus Johnson]

An interesting article however  . . it skirts over the fundamental breaches of human rights that took place in order to create the exclusion zone in the first place (are we all comfortable with the links between war and conservation?)  Documents leaked to the public point out that the UK government stance on Chagos is driven by military/political issues rather than any love of the environment - and note that the author is the adviser to the UK Government on BIOT conservation.

I'd be interested to read articles relating to pollution around the islands.  There has been a significant military presence in the region for a long time, I find it hard to believe that the impact of this huge military installation could be less than that of a native population.  Building the airstrip? Noise pollution? TBT? Dumping of military hardware around the island? Weapons testing? Oil spills? Angling? Fishing by folk brought in to work on the bases? Organic pollution?

Of course the area needs protection from unconstrained development - but the Chagossians should be advised and encouraged rather than told or bullied, it is their home not ours.  No negotiations on conservation should take place until the legitimate return of the Chagossians has been facilitated.



-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov on behalf of Pete Raines
Sent: Sun 7/17/2011 3:02 PM
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Subject: [Coral-List] A last chance for Indian Ocean reefs?
 
Dear Listers,

"Protecting the Chagos Archipelago - a last chance for Indian Ocean 
reefs?" by Prof. Charles Sheppard is available at 
http://www.challenger-society.org.uk/node/1095

Pete Raines MBE
*Founder and CEO
Coral Cay Conservation
www.coralcay.org
*

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