FYI. Stefanie Rixecker ECOFEM Coordinator
------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 10:44:47 -0500 From: Susan Daniels <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Sundarban Action Alert, from Mangrove Action Project To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [ Double-click this line for list subscription options ] Dear friends, I know you all are busy, and there's thousands of action alerts around these days, but I found this one especially powerful and moving. Please consider acting on it. As I'm sure many of you realize, the Sundarbans are a uniquely beautiful system. in peace, Sue Daniels Virginia Tech ************** Please note: This is a special Action Alert sent to you on behalf of our good friends in Bangladesh, especially for those brave resisters at Polder 22 who risk their lives still in defending their lands from invasive prawn farming This Alert goes out in coordination of similar action alerts going on worldwide in memory of Karunamoyee Sarder who, on Nov. 7th, 1990, made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of her threatened community's land and liberty. Save The Sundarban! When Mangrove Action Project's Director visited the Sundarban region last month during the recent Steering Committee meeting of ISA Net, he was especially impressed with two things: the dwindling extent of the largest remaining mangrove forest in the world and the great courage of the farming community of Horinkhola Polder 22 whose stalwart members have been resisting for over a decade the unruly insurgence of the shrimp farming industry surrounding their community. Polder 22 is like a war zone --an island of steadfast resistance in a tumultuous sea of industrial greed and corruption. Polder 22 is that last bastion of brave combatants who will fight to the very last soldier in this winless war upon our Mother Earth. Horinkhola Polder 22 is both an inspiration and a blessing in this earthly existence we call life. Without such resistance against such open tyranny, what worth is there in future? In the study of biology, three of the chief factors defining if something is alive are growth, movement and the survival instinct. At Horinkhola Polder 22, we happily witnessed a growing movement whose very existence will determine whether this community survives or not. Though the resistance is strong at Polder 22, the shrimp aquaculture industry is also determined to inundate this last vestige of traditional farmland. The question remains: how long can they resist, and how long will we remember their struggle burning like a fire among many fires? PLEASE READ ON, AND PARTICIPATE IN THE BELOW POSTED ACTION ALERT!! In Memoria, Alfredo Quarto, Mangrove Action Project Commemoration For Karunamoyee Sarder The 7th of November is upon us, and the preparation at the field level for this memorial day is going on. We issue this special and urgent appeal to our members and associates, asking that you please offer your help and support for the people of Bangladesh on this day against the continuing illegal expansion of the shrimp aquaculture industry in the Sundarbans. Nov. 7th has become an international day from this year. It was since 1990 a day commemortated by the people of Bangladesh for the bravery and ultimaste sacrifice of one of its leaders, Karunamoyee Sarder. We suggest that all of you organize your own program which fits into your work. That can be writing an article or having a minute of silence in honor of Karunamoyee and the struggle for justice and the future which her death represents. Please send a letter to Nijera Kori afterwards as to how you kept up the memory of this day in your country. This will be good feedback to the people in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh we will all go to Harin khola a couple of hours from Khulna in the south of Bangladesh. When we arrive by troller (a local boat) we first put our flowers at the mosaic monument and gather for a minute of silence. The whole morning people will come and put flowers at the monument either by foot from the village nearby or by boats from villages outside the area of Poulder 22 where the villasge is located. After putting the flowers at the monument and the minute of silence we will all go by foot in a rally to Bigordana school mart about 3 km from the monument. Thousands of people will come in different rallies shouting slogans about how the shrimp cultivation destroys the life in the area. When all groups reached Bigordana the meeting starts with some cultural groups performing dances and theatre. Usually a song about Karunamoyee and what happened that day in 1990. This year we expect 10 000 people to attend. For a couple of hours there will be speeches-- mainly by the local people, but also by Khushi Kabir of Nijera Korti, some journalists, advocates etc, and the program will end up with a drama performance by a cultural group of Nijera Kori. In Khulna city there may also be rallies this day organized by the citizens' forum. Manik Saha a journalist from Khulna has written an excellent account of the Nov. 7th incident entitled, "The Peoples Movement Against Shrimp Farming in Bangladesh" which covers the whole story of the 7th of November, 1990. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Please send a letter of concern to the newly formed government of Bangladesh about the consequences of shrimp cultivation. Mention that you would like to see the newly formed government take steps towards a sustainable and socially just policy of shrimp cultivation in Bangladesh. Because the new government minsters have not yet started to work, we do not know in what way they will develop the industry. A sample letter is provided below which we urge you to please print and sign, then fax your letter to the government officials at their fax numbers t provided herein. Please also send your letter by either fax or e-mail to Nijera Kori Fax 880-2-8122250 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ============== ***ACTION ALERT!!!*** Dear Friends! We at Nijera Kori is now asking for international assistance to observe the memory of Korunamyee Sardar. We have already sent you some articles about what happened 11 years ago on the 7 of November in Bangladesh. As a part of the anti shrimp movement we would like to take the opportunity to express our concern to the newly formed Government of Bangladesh by sending the letter attached in this mail. Please send the letter to: Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on fax 880-2-8113244 Minister of Finance and Planning, M. Salifur Rahman on fax 880-2-8616200 Minister of Environment and Forest, Siraj Shajahan on fax 880-2-8610166 Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Sadeq Hossain Khoka on fax 880-2-8618182 Also send email or fax to the English newspapers in Bangladesh: The Daily Star: Editor Muhfuz Anam, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] or fax 880-2-8125155, 8126154 The Independent: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (editorial) or [EMAIL PROTECTED] (news) or [EMAIL PROTECTED] or fax 880-2-9127722 Holiday: Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] fax 880-2-9127927 Bangladesh Observer: fax 880-2-9562243 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please also send us a copy of the letter Kind regards �sa Dear XXXX Today, the 7 of November, is the international memorial day for a strong Bangladeshi woman, Karunamoyee Sardar who was killed in 1990 in a clash between villagers and a powerful shrimp cultivator in village Horin Khola, in Khulna region. She was hit by a bullet and died on the spot while 40 other villagers of the area were injured and hospitalized. Their only demand was to continue the peaceful life on a small plot in the area. She wanted to protect the land against a plan to develop, through force and without legal basis, a shrimp farm in the area, but she had to pay a high price. Still now after 11 years her murdercase is continuing in court even though the evidence is clear against the powerful shrimp cultivator. Today we all pay her our homage and express commitment to continue the fight for trial of the killers of Korunamoyee as well as for the rights of the farmers who have been struggling for the same objectives all over the world. This is to express our concern to the newly formed Government of Bangladesh about the effects of export-oriented saline water shrimp cultivation on the environment and on local communities. We hope that the newly formed Government will take the responsibility in developing sustainable alternatives instead of the export-oriented saline water shrimp cultivation, which destroys the beautiful mangrove forest that Bangladesh is blessed with or without converting fertile agriculture land into saline water bodies, which harm the environment. We know that the frozen food industry brings in foreign exchange to Bangladesh, but we also know that the industry is a sensitive income source since virus has attacks almost all shrimp producing countries, which has resulted in huge economic loss for the farmers. The industry is also dependent on the demand in the consumer's countries and as more people get aware of the industry's negative side, more people will choose for alternatives. ISA net (Industrial Shrimp Action Network) is a global network of leading non-government and environmental organisations working to address the social and environmental impacts of shrimp farming. While we acknowledge the potentialities existing in Bangladesh we would also like to inform you briefly about the impacts that we have seen in other shrimp producing countries. The world's mangrove forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate and shrimp farming is the main cause behind the mangrove loss. Productive rice paddies are converted into chemical intensive shrimp ponds. These ponds have a short life span, devastating land that cannot support the local communities who are left behind. Local people have lost their livelihoods and are not even able to send their children to school anymore. Women are insecure in their own village since the violence and lack of human rights has increased. Food security and health of the local communities are at risk when fish, poultry, livestock, vegetable and fruit do not thrive any longer in the saline environment. We at ...(add your organisation) ....Nijera Kori, a local NGO in Bangladesh and a member of ISA net working with social mobilization, awareness building and environmental issues amongst the grassroots in Bangladesh have seen the environmental and social consequences in Bangladesh already...... That is the reason why we sign this letter to urge the newly formed Government to take a step towards a sustainable development, to work out a proper policy concerning shrimp aqua culture and to secure a safe environment for all people in of Bangladesh. Yours Sincerely xxx ========================== >From �sa Wistrand for Nijera Kori [EMAIL PROTECTED] Shrimp cultivation puts environment in danger �sa Wistrand In Bangladesh more than 20 per cent of the net cultivable land is in the coastal area. Out of this, the salt effected area has been estimated at around 3.05 millions hectare, scattered over 18 southern districts. Areas with non-saline soil have turned into slightly-saline soil and are no longer suitable for cultivation. (RDC, Scientific Research Report on Impacts of Shrimp Farming on Soil and Water Quality of Some Selected Areas in the Greater Khulna District). According to the Soil Resource Development Institute, the rate of salinity from 1935 parts per million (ppm) to 2580 ppm in the soil and up to 4080 ppm in water is not harmful. During May and June, the salinity rises up to 16125 ppm in most rivers in Khulna, which are used for shrimp cultivation. In December and January, when the shrimp field dries up, a layer of salt becomes visible on the soil, which contains salt up to 12900 ppm. (Saha. M, Shrimp culture: Socio-economic and environmental impacts). This increase of salt in the soil has affected terribly the agriculture of this region. Malati Rani and Narayan live in a remote village in Khulna district. With the help of their four children (one son and three daughters) they have so far been able to live on their small piece of land. Today their life has changed because of the shrimp cultivation. Malati Rani woefully relates how clean water has become a genuine scarcity in this area. Since a shrimp farmer from Khulna leased their land on a half-year basis for shrimp cultivation, increase of salinity has caused a depletion in the fertility. During the rainy season they try to cultivate rice on this land, but fail due to saline conditions. �The soil of this area was fertile even ten years back,� Narayan said. �Today the whole situation has changed due to unplanned shrimp cultivation,� He added. Shrimp cultivation has also affected cultivation of livestock due to shortage of fodder. As an outcome of all these, clashes often ensue between shrimp farm owners and local people. Malati Rani fetched a wonderful handmade mat from inside her hut. �Once upon a time I used to weave this kind of mat, � she told, � but now �melay� the reed used for this is rarely to be seen in the area.� �Many of our friends have already left the village to work in the city and some have even migrated to India. We do not know what will happen to us,� she said. Narayan related the incident in Beel Bhainar in 1988 when a shrimp cultivator established a shrimp farm which resulted in massive environmental degeneration in that area. Many people lost their land and houses due to it. �We are afraid that the same thing is going to happen here in our village if shrimp cultivation continues in an unplanned way,� he concluded. With 130 millions of people, Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Every acres of land here is valuable. Already 140 000 hectares of land have been used for shrimp cultivation. The industry is now looking for another 100,000 hectares of land (BFFEA, January 2001). Immediate steps are required to be taken to deal with the menace of unplanned shrimp cultivation. From October 19, 2001 What does the shrimp farming industry lead to? �sa Wistrand Shrimp cultivation has brought about changes in the rural life along the coastal areas. It is hard to find the traditional family of a farmerwith huge fishes in the pond, vegetables in the house garden and crops in the landany more. Many people are forced to take jobs outside their native village. The wife and the family are left in the village, collecting shrimp fry while the men work as day-labourers in nearby cities. The marginal farmers, share-croppers, agricultural day-labourers, fishermen and petty traders used to work on cultivating rice during the monsoon and catch fish in the flood plains during the off-season. Beside, they had additional income from their cattle, poultry, vegetable gardens and orchards, but due to the extension of shrimp cultivation in the region, all those sources of income have decreased. The women�s activities in poultry, weaving and fuel preparation have also become scarce. In some areas, totally involved in shrimp cultivation, there is nothing left to live on, except to be involved in the shrimp industry. Shrimp cultivation, which is not as labour-intensive as rice cultivation, has vastly reduced job opportunities, resulting in a large number of people facing unemployment. Many studies depict the opposite picture and state, for example, that shrimp cultivation, directly or indirectly, create jobs and thus increase the household income, resulting in a better livelihood. The question is: what happens with the people in the area who are not willing to be involved in the shrimp industry? Can they survive in their home village any more? Another important question: what kind of jobs does the shrimp industry provide for the poor people? Many small shrimp farmers are saying that they cultivate shrimps nowadays because the land is unsuitable for crop cultivation. The local people, thus, are more or less forced to be involved in the shrimp industry. The job it creates In shrimp enclosures, most of the upper level staffs are outsiders. The number of local people, who are mostly engaged in maintenance of dikes and weeding, amounts to less than 5 per cent of the unemployed people of those who have lost their occupations because of shrimp cultivation. Further on, in larger farms, around 15 to 20 guards are employed to look after the farm day and night. They often use loaded arms and sometimes fire bullets and explode bombs to get people away from the area. Most of the guards are strangers in the area and many of them are associated with different types of crimes. Village people often tell stories about how the guards use violence against the people, both women and men, and how they are killing poultry for feast in the security tower. Women have become involved in preparing and repairing the shrimp enclosures, beheading shrimps in shrimp depots and collecting post-larvae >from the rivers and streams. The working condition in the beheading and pre-processing industry is often very bad. Women are sometimes working with bare hands and are often not supplied with gloves. As a result, skin diseases get on the rise. See the story told by a man from Satkhira: �Most of the people in this area are involved in the shrimp industry, even if they do not want it. It is the only opportunity for earning a small amount of money. There is nothing else left to live on in Satkhira. The labour of the poor people builds this industry. For examples, in every enclosure, guards work for 24 hour a day in this small bamboo hut for a very meagre salary. The women and the children work full day, catching fry in the water. Many women and children also work in the plants to peel and cut the shrimps. The environment in these plants is bad. The women and children work barehanded in the ice water. Skin disease is an increasing problem. The women are tools for this industry.� Impact on health and education What about the health and education of the school-going children? Before shrimp cultivation started in the region, even day-labourers were able to send their children to school, but the introduction of shrimp cultivation has decreased their income. Now, they are not able to afford spending money on their children�s education. Instead, they are involved in the fry collection work. A child collecting shrimp fry/post-larvae has to stay in water for an average of 6 to 8 hours a day and is able to collect 20 to 40 shrimp fry or post-larvae over the time. Thus a child earns an average of Tk. 50 per day. As a result, there is the danger of fungus attack on the skin, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. Long exposure to sunlight causes dehydration caused by perspiration and loss of sodium. The child's immunity system gets weakened. Heath workers in the areas concerned report that bronchitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, skin problem and sunstroke are common in the shrimp farming areas. (Radda Barnen, Health Hazards of Children in Shrimp Fry Collection and Effects of Shrimp Fry Collection on the Primary Education). A Grameen Trust study shows the following facts: About 81 per cent of the children in the study area are engaged in fry/post larvae collection; out of the children collecting shrimps, 75 per cent are boys and 25 per cent girls; most children collecting fry are from 8 to 10 years old. They collect fry/post-larvae in two shiftsfrom 5 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 7 pm; and this is why they cannot go to school. The attendance at primary schools is 79 per cent, which is lower than the average for the thana; admission to primary school is also 79 per cent, which is less than the thana average; about 43 per cent of the primary schools within the study area fall under the Food for Education Programme of the government. But 80 per cent of the families who benefits from the Food for Education Programme send their children for collecting shrimp fry. As a result, the government�s Compulsory Primary Education programme has also broken down. A spokesman of the Primary Education Directorate said that in the villages situated by riverbanks, drop-out is not the only problem; initial admissions have also gone down drastically. Although the school admissions have gone up to 94 per cent nationally as a result of the Food for Education Programme, in the shrimp areas, admissions are far less than that. More than half of the children in this area cannot complete their primary education. About 20 per cent of the admitted children drop out in the very first year, as reported in the press. So before wowing the shrimp industry as the income source for the local people, we must consider the jobs it creates and for whom. Bangladesh does not need a new industry based on bad condition, low salary, health problem, environmental disaster and child labour. Bangladesh needs a sustainable alternative that can benefit both the local and the national economy and whereby the village people can afford sending their children to schools again, who will form the next generation in Bangladesh. The writer works with Nijera Kori, a non-government development agency. �sa Wistrand Nijera Kori 3/3, Block A, Lalmatia, Dhaka -1207 Bangladesh Phone: 880-2- 8122199 Mobile: 019-348267 Fax 880-2-8122250 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------- End of forwarded message ------- ************************************ Dr. Stefanie S. Rixecker, Senior Lecturer Environmental Management & Design Division Lincoln University, Canterbury PO Box 84 Aotearoa New Zealand E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax: 64-03-325-3841 Mob: 021 150 2862 ************************************
