| Ecuador may be considered a "hotspot," but the | | | | "trickle down" to the communities? Does it even |
| tagline doesn't refer to a Spring Break destination. | | | | stay in the country? |
| Ecuador is one of the leading countries in the | | | | Yepez: The shrimp farming industry is a clear |
| world at risk of losing its biodiversity, and with it | | | | example of inequity. Constituted by foreigner |
| the livelihoods, culture and identity of many | | | | entrepreneurs (foreigner mainly in terms of |
| Ecuadorians. Due mainly to the shrimp aquaculture | | | | Ecuadorians that are not from the areas were |
| industry, Ecuador's precious mangroves are being | | | | the shrimp ponds are located), the industry |
| destroyed at an alarming rate. GVN's Megan Tady | | | | obtained a record sum of $875 million (1998), |
| interviewed Veronica Yepez, communications | | | | enriching a productive chain of just 12 big export |
| officer with Redmanglar Internacional, a non-profit | | | | companies. |
| based in Ecuador, that works to preserve | | | | This shrimp industry in the land has assembled big |
| mangroves, to find out why mangroves are vital | | | | fortunes around the same economic and political |
| for the environment, and how volunteers play an | | | | powerful group and has left a structured poverty |
| important role in safeguarding them. | | | | situation in the rest of the country. No dynamic |
| Mangrove: Forests that grow in coastal habitats | | | | flow of income for the local economies has been |
| and shallow water in tropical and subtropical | | | | possible in this profit relation. |
| coastal regions. | | | | The national population that inhabits the mangrove |
| GVN: Why is Ecuador a "Biodiversity Hotspot?" | | | | areas is drastically poorer than the national |
| Yepez: Although Ecuador is only 1.6 percent of the | | | | average (61.3%). In the mangrove zones 81.68% |
| landmass of South America, it harbors one of the | | | | of the inhabitants are poor and 89.07% have no |
| Earth's greatest concentrations of biodiversity. | | | | elementary basic services provision. In average, |
| Worldwide, Ecuador is considered one of the | | | | 11.29% out of this population is illiterate. |
| planet's top 17 most biologically diverse nations. | | | | GVN: Aquaculture provides employment in many |
| The country's geographic and climatic variations | | | | ways, so what are the alternatives for local |
| have led to the evolution of thousands of species | | | | communities? |
| of flora and fauna. | | | | Yepez: Shrimp farms are raised by one or two |
| GVN: Why are mangroves important to | | | | families (or sometimes just three or four guards) |
| biodiversity? Why are they vital for communities? | | | | that work in dozens of hectares of shrimp ponds. |
| Yepez: The country benefits from the presence | | | | On the other hand, in former times when the |
| of the mangrove ecosystem, one of the top five | | | | mangroves were not all damaged, each hectare |
| most productive ecosystems of the world. Its | | | | of mangrove ecosystem provided livelihood for 10 |
| natural richness benefits the communities of | | | | entire families of indigenous traditional mangrove |
| indigenous traditional users of the mangrove | | | | users. The employment provided by the shrimp |
| ecosystem (mainly fishery-workers and cockle | | | | industry are temporary positions with low salaries |
| gatherers). The mangrove ecosystem is in fact | | | | and no benefits (social security, health, etc.). |
| their livelihood and in this ecosystem they have | | | | Local communities still-and now more than |
| developed their culture; therefore, the mangroves | | | | before-believe in community development and the |
| are a socio-cultural reference for the communities. | | | | community management of the natural resources |
| Moreover, mangroves protect the villages with | | | | for the benefit of the local economies. Mangroves |
| the stabilization of the coastal fringes, | | | | traditionally are "common lands" where the |
| preservation of the quality of the waters, climate | | | | communities were able to develop themselves in |
| regulation and erosion prevention. This ecosystem | | | | a tight relation with the nature. The actual |
| also assures the fisheries' sustainability since it's a | | | | economic model that points out the importance of |
| nursery area for most of the fish species that | | | | revenues regardless of the social and |
| inhabit the oceans. | | | | environmental impacts is a path that shall not |
| GVN: What factors have contributed to the | | | | continue. GVN: In Ecuador, how is environmental |
| degradation of mangroves? | | | | degradation often an issue of environmental |
| Yepez: In Ecuador there has been a loss of | | | | racism? |
| approximately 70 percent of the original | | | | Since the colonial time in the country an |
| mangrove ecosystem. The major reason for this | | | | agro-exporter bourgeoisie emerged linked to the |
| loss has been the shrimp industry that has | | | | financial capital and the appropriation of the |
| encroached on the mangrove ecosystem of the | | | | common lands and the natural resources, and this |
| four coastal provinces of the country since the | | | | bourgeoisie was -and still is- also linked to the |
| 70's. Other factors such as industrial tourism as | | | | political leading of the nation. |
| well as growth of the cities have also damaged | | | | Since this stage it has been a systematic practice |
| this natural resource. | | | | to deprive the local communities (indigenous and |
| GVN: What should people in the Western world | | | | afro Ecuadorians) from their natural resources and |
| know about the shrimp they are eating that | | | | make them servants. |
| comes from Ecuador? | | | | Therefore, rich and powerful shrimp farms were |
| The most important thing to explain to Northern | | | | able to conquer authorities and change official |
| consumers is the way shrimp is cultivated so that | | | | documents to deprive the local communities from |
| they can have a clear idea of the problem. Most | | | | their lands and make them "productive" areas for |
| people believe that shrimp are naturally grown in | | | | "national revenue generation". |
| the ocean, but that is not true. Shrimp aquaculture | | | | GVN: Once devastated, can a mangrove ever |
| involves the deforestation of hectares of | | | | recover? |
| mangrove forests in order to build ponds for | | | | Yepez: If the devastated areas have not been |
| shrimp larvae to develop. Furthermore, the places | | | | abandoned for long, there is a possibility to start a |
| where shrimp ponds are built include a dam that | | | | process of recovery, but when a drastic change |
| makes a barrier for the pond. But this same dam | | | | has taken place, it is almost impossible. Mangrove |
| denies the possibility for the normal flow of | | | | restoration is very slow and it is never possible to |
| waters inside and outside this brackish forest. | | | | recover its primary state. But the characteristics |
| Because this doesn't allow water to be recyled, | | | | of the mangrove plants and seedling allow their |
| most of the remaining mangroves right behind a | | | | own natural re-planting, therefore zones that |
| shrimp pond are not safe anymore and dry up. | | | | were devastated and then left without actual soil |
| Shrimp aquaculture, which was formerly called the | | | | changes start growing again. But of course, to |
| "blue revolution" and was supposed to "stop world | | | | recover the dynamics of the ecosystem takes a |
| hunger," is actually a luxury product for the | | | | long time. |
| consumption of the Northern countries. Just 5 | | | | GVN: How does the loss of mangroves create a |
| percent of the enormous production of the | | | | loss in culture and identity for communities? |
| shrimp industry in Ecuador remains in the country; | | | | Yepez: For the traditional populations of the |
| 95 percent is for the export market. | | | | mangrove areas, their ecosystem is more than a |
| Shrimp aquaculture in Ecuador is not only | | | | source of alimentary provision and livelihood; it |
| responsible for the ecological damage of the | | | | inspires their artistic and culture sense. The |
| coastal resources but also for the displacement | | | | mangrove resources have allowed these |
| and impoverishment of the communities of | | | | communities to obtain housing, rustic furniture, |
| indigenous traditional fisher-workers and | | | | vessels, working tools for fishing and hunting, etc. |
| cockle-gatherers who have lost their livelihoods. | | | | And it also developed into a cultural referent and |
| GVN: The shrimp industry brings in big bucks. | | | | an element of identity and cohesion |
| Some may argue that the income generated | | | | The loss of the mangroves also resulted in the |
| from shrimps can justify the ecological costs...so | | | | displacement of entire communities and the |
| what is the problem? | | | | migration of a great majority of inhabitants of the |
| Yepez: Yes, this is difficult to visualize from an | | | | rural areas of the coast. The statistics reveal that |
| outside point of view. In 1998, the top production | | | | in 2001, almost half a million Ecuadorians left the |
| year for the shrimp industry, Ecuador exported | | | | country. |
| 153,729 metric tons of shrimp that returned a | | | | GVN: The situation sometimes seems so dire. |
| revenue of $875 million. That same year shrimp | | | | How do you remain hopeful that you can make a |
| exports became the country's third highest | | | | difference? |
| exportation item, after oil and bananas. | | | | Yepez: We believe that this economic model that |
| This amazing production for the next year fell due | | | | deeply affects the Earth and the communities |
| mainly to shrimp diseases and sickness caused | | | | shall not continue. We have been able to stop |
| mainly by the disordered and wrongly designed | | | | some shrimp farming activities with the |
| operation. Yet afterwards this industry, with the | | | | organization of the communities and their desire |
| help and confidence of the government and | | | | to work together towards the community |
| international financing institutions, has been able to | | | | development in harmonic relation with nature. Two |
| recover its spot. | | | | mangrove protected areas in the country have |
| On the other hand, in this same period the | | | | been declared after the community pressured the |
| socio-economic conditions in the country, further | | | | authorities. Nowadays more mangroves are part |
| from improving and becoming better, got just the | | | | of the national system of protected areas and |
| "wastes" of the shrimp production. | | | | natural parks. We were also able to receive |
| Parishes that benefit from the presence of the | | | | Community Concessions of mangrove areas |
| mangrove ecosystem are inhabited by | | | | through a legal decree in 1999, before which just |
| approximately 1 million people, with tight links to | | | | shrimp farming activities received beaches and |
| the economic dynamic of the marine and coastal | | | | bays concessions. |
| resources for whom the mangrove ecosystem is | | | | GVN: Hundreds of international volunteers go to |
| vital. The economic conditions of these people are | | | | Ecuador each year to work along Ecuadorians to |
| of a very harsh significant poverty. The concept | | | | help secure its biodiversity. How does it affect |
| of significant poverty comprises factors such as | | | | communities knowing that strangers care about |
| income insufficiency, physical weakness, | | | | their plight? |
| dependency, geographical isolation, lack of | | | | Yepez: Our aim, with international volunteers, is to |
| education and access to services and information, | | | | let them witness the problem of the shrimp |
| vulnerability and lack of power. From this point of | | | | industry and to spread this information to their |
| view, the official statistics show that the poverty | | | | communities back home. We are grateful to know |
| of the population that inhabits the mangrove | | | | that people, regardless of their nationality, can |
| ecosystem zones is more extreme than the | | | | share our daily life and help us with their own |
| national average. For example malnutrition in these | | | | knowledge. Our communities are open places for |
| areas arises to 45 percent in average. | | | | the common wealth. |
| GVN: I thought shrimp farming was illegal-why is it | | | | GVN: What can the rest of the world learn from |
| still happening? | | | | Ecuador's environmental situation? |
| Yepez: Shrimp farming itself is not an illegal | | | | Yepez: This issue about shrimp farming in Ecuador |
| activity. What is certainly illegal since 1978 is to | | | | should be published the "lessons learned" chapter |
| establish shrimp ponds inside mangrove areas. | | | | so that pristine mangrove areas around the world |
| Cutting down mangroves is forbidden by more | | | | will not allow shrimp ventures. Nevertheless, new |
| than one law. Nevertheless-and this is one of the | | | | mangroves have been destroyed in the last years |
| main and maybe the worst thing about shrimp | | | | in Brazil, and we have notices that the shrimp |
| farming-although the majority of shrimp ponds | | | | venture is now entering Africa too. We realize |
| are located inside the mangrove ecosystem or in | | | | that anywhere in the tropical and subtropical areas |
| saline areas which are legally recognized as part of | | | | of the world where the mangrove ecosystem is |
| this ecosystem, the shrimp entrepreneurs, with | | | | located, the communities that inhabit the |
| the help of a complex net of corruption that has | | | | surroundings of this forest are always fish |
| involved authorities and government departments, | | | | workers with no political and economic power. |
| have official papers that declare their location as | | | | Despite this, we do believe that the organization |
| "upper zones," not beaches and bays to deny any | | | | of the folks is essential to stop the abuse over |
| presence of mangrove ecosystem. | | | | the resources and the common people. |
| GVN: Who makes money from shrimp? Does it | | | | |