Hi folks,

This isn't quite Pacific Northwest birding, but I thought that those of us who think globally and bird locally might want to add our thoughts to the message to Chilean leaders.

Many thanks,

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net

----- Original Message -----
>>> Thomas Mattern <t.mattern at eudyptes.net> 01/13/03 03:36AM >>>

Dear all.

We are still campaigning against the exclusion of Isla Damas from the Reserva Nacional Ping?ino de Humboldt, Chile. The reserve includes important breeding colonies (1,500 breeding pairs) of the worldwide endangered Peruvian-diving Petrel (Pelecanoides garnotii) with an overall declining trend. The complex of Damas-Choros hosts more than 300 breeding pairs of the Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti), a species which is considered as critically endangered on national level and is classified as vulnerable on international level with an ongoing underlying decline in both range and population size; it also includes a population of the endangered South-american Marine Otter (Lontra felina) and breeding pairs of the Black-faced Ibis (Theristicus melanopis) just to name some of the most important species.

Lately, local politicians started to speak out for the proposed building of a 5 star hotel complex on Isla Damas, regardless of the grave environmental impact a structure like the proposed complex would have on the reserve as well as the local comunity of fishermen who at this stage benefit greatly from the ecotourism in the reserve.

An investment company (Genera Inversiones) intends to spend 80 Million US$ for the 'development' of Isla Damas if the Chilean gorvernment agrees to exclude the island from the reserve and deprive it of its protected status. This is against Chilean law and violates international agreements Chile signed.

Students and staff of the University Catolica del Norte in Coquimbo started a national campaign to ensure the preservation of the National Reserve as well as the infrastructure of the comunity of local fishermen. However, the leverage of the campaign would be far greater if international awareness could be raised. The expression of concerns from persons and institutions from outside Chile towards the Chilean government would be a first step to avoid the destruction of a reserve of invaluable natural value.

We have finally set up an english language version of our webpage at http://arenaph.penguinpage.net/index_eng.htm.

Here you find some more detailed information about the situation in the National Reserve. One step to help our cause would be to sign our online petition and spread the message.

Thomas Mattern

Department of Zoology

University of Otago

P.O. Box 56

Dunedin, New Zealand

Ph: +64-25-66 111 33

Email: t.mattern at eudyptes.net

URL: http://www.eudyptes.net