[Coral-List] CHAGOS MARINE PROTECTED AREA

[Elisabeth Whitebread]

Dear listers,

Given the comments that have appeared on this list and elsewhere over the past few days regarding Chagos, you might be interested to read the following letter sent to the Guardian today from the Chagos Environment Network:

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to an article published on 21st May 2011 concerning the Chagos Regagné meeting held on 19th May 2011, to clarify the position of the Chagos Environment Network (CEN).

The CEN is a group of scientific and conservation organizations who support the protection of the Chagos Archipelago (on scientific grounds), including the creation of the Marine Protected Area, announced in 2010. The CEN maintains an entirely neutral position on resettlement as this is not within the mandate of the organisations that are members, and no members of CEN have ever opposed resettlement. The Marine Protected Area was declared without prejudice to the results of any judicial proceedings; if the decision, which currently prevents Chagossians from returning to reside on the islands, is overruled in the future, the islands will be conserved in a good condition for their return. Those members of the CEN who are involved in practical conservation work plan to continue to work with Chagossian groups to provide environmental training and support their involvement in the management of the reserve.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Hughes
Secretary, Chagos Environment Network

Elisabeth Whitebread
Senior Associate, Global Ocean Legacy | Pew Environment Group | The Pew Charitable Trusts
Studio 10, Tiger House, Burton Street, London WC1H 9BY, UK
T: +44 (0)7976 028208 | E: ewhitebread at pewtrusts.org<mailto:ewhitebread at pewtrusts.org>| http://www.pewenvironment.org<http://www.pewenvironment.org/>