After leaving Spain coast to coast brickwork construction companies looking for new virgin areas abroad to raze impunity with lucrative mega tourist Cancun style.
Greenpeace, along with Wildcoast organizations, the Mexican Center for Environmental Law ( CEMDA ) and Friends for the Conservation of Cabo Pulmo AC ( ACCP), presented this morning in Mexico DF report Cape Cortes destroying paradise. It shows how Hansa Urbana, controversial English company (in Alicante, without going further), is planning to build a mega resort in the protected area of \u200b\u200bCabo Pulmo. Organizations are asked to not carry out this project, which threatens an ecosystem considered Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO . In 2008 Hansa Urbana obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico (SEMARNAT) authorization to begin construction of Cabo Cortés in Los Cabos (Baja California Sur). Projected on an area of \u200b\u200bover 3,800 hectares, would have a marina of 490 berths, two golf courses, capacity for 30,000 rooms and 5,000 homes for workers, housing capacity is almost equal to that of Cancun. This development is adjacent to Cabo Pulmo, a National Marine Park is part of the list of Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO, and in 2008 was included in the RAMSAR Convention for the protection of wetlands of international importance. After two years of fighting, and after legal appeals to the CEMDA and Northwest Environmental Defense (DAN), the SEMARNAT decided recently that it would authorize the project.
Greenpeace believes that the fact that authorization be given initially and now are to be amended due to irregularities highlights the lack of rigor when approving projects that threaten the environment. "It's amazing to authorize a predator and Cabo Cortés project with a single step and two years later, only by the pressure of society and legal resources, decided to modify the authorization. How many similar projects exist authorizations involving damage to ecosystems? We will not modify the authorization of Cabo Cortés, we want to cancel because there are arguments that go beyond legal resources, threatening to Cabo Pulmo " said Alejandro Olivera, spokesman for Greenpeace Mexico. It should be noted
that the National Commission on Protected Areas (CONANP) issued in July 2009 a negative opinion about the environmental impact report submitted by the builder Hansa Urbana, and the potential impact of the project. There is also a technical opinion of the Directorate General for Environmental Policy and Regional Integration and Sectoral SEMARNAT, as noted by legal infeasibility of the project since it violates both the Ecological Management Plan for Los Cabos and sectoral programs and legislation. Despite this SEMARNAT decided to authorize in 2008.
"Cabo Cortés can have a totally destructive on coral reef and the entire ecosystem. Its environmental impact study has many weaknesses that have not been corrected and is based on false or misleading information, not analyze in depth some of the most serious potential impacts, and ignores the social problems that can generate massive influx of workers a sparsely populated and poor service ", denounced Fay Crevoshay Wilcoast spokesman. The developer of Cabo Cortés, Hansa Urbana construction up in Spain a series of investigations into irregularities in the approval process of your project Novo Carthago (Cartagena, Murcia), especially in regard to the processing planning and the process of reclassification of the land. The Office of Murcia has investigated after learning that the golf course will be built in an area protected by the European Union Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) and Site of Community Importance (SCI). Furthermore, in May 2010 Rafael Galea , CEO of Hansa Urbana was called to testify by a judge as a defendant, as there are "reasonable suspicion" of involvement in crime and forgery of Treasury documents. The amount of crime exceed six million euros.
Greenpeace believes unacceptable that English real estate and tourism, key players in unsustainable development carried out in Spain in recent years and is now sold out shows, pretend play in other countries that have caused disaster here. "Its business model in the short term ignores the dangerous social, environmental and labor of their projects and compromises the welfare of future generations in exchange for quick profits for the few. Cabo Cortés draft may have an especially harmful to affect a unique ecosystem, national and internationally protected and cared for by the locals. So never be built " , explained in Mexico Mabel Bustelo of Greenpeace Spain.
organizations claim that Cabo Cortés not authorized and instead propose to intensively promote efforts to protect Cabo Pulmo by the local community, which has used a model of tourism that respects the environment.
"We have lived for ecotourism and the protection of the marine protected area of \u200b\u200bCabo Pulmo. Cabo Cortés project threatens our livelihood. We have not been considered even though we are in its area of \u200b\u200binfluence. It is unfair to be granted the concession of 4.5 million cubic meters of water in a desert area where to us and we need to discharge brines to be given to the reef " concluded Mario Castro, a resident of the community of Cabo Pulmo and founding vice president of ACCP.
IMPACT OF THE PROJECT - The desalination plant discharge 500 liters per second of bitter brine that can go to the Cabo Pulmo reef.
- contravenes the legislation states that any new tourism project should ensure their own water supply and the population centers that are generated as a result. However this project, if developed fully, it will consume the water equivalent to a city of 71,000 inhabitants (4.5 million cubic meters).
- are not taken into account the potential impacts of climate change and predictions of sea level change in the Pacific.
- The Navy modified the profile of the coast and affect life on sandy bottoms and sand available. When running, it will generate much traffic, likely to cause spillage of fuels, garbage and noise that affect the region and beyond.
- The authorization violates recommended by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) as Cabo Pulmo is definitely in the zone of influence.
- Study presents problems of identification and lack of adequate and sufficient samples are presented for birds, mammals and reptiles, including several endangered species.
The Greenpeace website can view a gallery of images this unique natural area threatened by the construction firm Hansa Urbana.
(*) Source of news: GREENPEACE
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