In the recent November the violation of human rights intensified by part of shrimp farmers in Honduras, because of this CODDEFFAGOLF has publicly denounced the facts, has demanded from the government to call shrimp farmers and fishermen to dialogue about the situation and has announced that it will mobilize hundreds of fisher workers very soon.
REDMANGLAR International has issued a statement, which is being sent to press media, government officials and others in Honduras.  I would thank you very much if you, taking into account the statement of REDMANGLAR, make a short statement in support to our struggle.  In case that you make it I send the one of REDMANGLAR and the addresses to which you can send it and with copy to CODDEFFAGOLF please.

Last Saturday, the Directive Board of CODDEFFAGOLF decided to make the mass mobilization next Monday, December 17, 2007.

Sincerely,
Jorge

 
PS: Sorry for cross-posting

 
President of Honduras
Excelentísimo Sr. Manuel Zelaya Rosales: Fax 235-8271
Sr. Allan Fajardo, President Advisor, asistente@presidencia.gob.hn

Ministers
Sr. Héctor Hernández Amador, Ministro, Secretaría de Agricultura y Ganadería: hectorh12002@yahoo.com
Abogada Mayra Mejía del Cid, Ministra Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente: sdespacho@serna.gob.hn

Press media
El Heraldo: diario@elheraldo.hn
La Tribuna: tribuna@latribuna.hn
La Prensa: redaccion@laprensa.hn
Diario Tiempo: tiempo@continental.hn
El Libertador: el_libertador_noticias@yahoo.com

Journalists:
Secundino Méndez: smendez@elheraldo.hn
Maribel Sánchez: maribelsanchez@hotmail.com
Dolores Valenzuela: ahpaaf@yahoo.es
Orfa Mejía: orfamejia@gmail.com

Others:
Sr. Ramón Custodio, Comisionado de los Derechos Humanos: central@conadeh.hn
Red de Desarrollo Sostenible: contacto@rds.org.hn

REDMANGLAR INTERNACIONAL IN SOLIDARITY WITH FISHERWORKERS OF THE GULF OF FONSECA, HONDURAS

REDMANGLAR INTERNCIONAL "FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE MARINE AND COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS AND THE COMMUNITARY LIFE" will like to express its solidarity with the fisher workers of the Gulf of Fonseca in Honduras. Nowadays their human rights are being violated by the shrimp aquaculture industry.

During more than 30 years, hundreds of documents written by different authors clearly state the traumatic history of the establishment of the industrial shrimp aquaculture in Honduras. It is frequently recognized the systematic violations to the collective rights of the people from the coastal zones. The most relevant cases are destruction of marine and coastal wetlands, pollution by agrochemicals and organic contamination, kill of the marine biodiversity by the capture of shrimp larvae and by effects of the water pumps from the shrimp ponds, introduction of exotic diseases, salt introduction into agricultural lands, forced displacements, loss of natural resources, removal of the inhabitants of the wetlands, loss of access to the estuaries and to fish banks, loss of livelihoods, harassment, defamations, calumnies, humiliations, physical aggressions that have sent fisher workers to jail, death, among others.

All this list of aggressions in Honduras (however, those are not unique for this country) have the complicity of the Governments by action or omission, bringing up complete impunity.

Shrimp consumers in Europe, United States and Japan believe that the producers from Honduras are currently more "friendly" with the environment and with the society, but the truth is that shrimp producers are just making efforts to "green wash" their systematic violation to the human rights. This demonstrates the lack of sincerity of the exporters and retailers that deceive the consumers from the North.

Due to cases like this one from Honduras, REDMANGLAR INTERNACIONAL, ASIA, the African Mangrove Network and Mangrove Action Project, have stated our opposition to the disordered expansion of the industrial shrimp aquaculture and the certification to its production.

Therefore, REDMANGLAR INTERNACIONAL states its solidarity with the people from Honduras and their fisher workers. We will like to offer, starting January 2008 the visit of a delegation of members of our network from different countries of Latin America, and will include this case in the coming awareness campaign against tropical shrimp consumption in Europe, and if necessary, will take this claim into the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Honduras is a signatory.

Santa Cruz de Lorica (Colombia), November 30th, 2007.

Submitted by: Jorge Varela

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