BajaNomad - news from NRDC regarding San Ignacio Lagoon

news from NRDC regarding San Ignacio Lagoon

msrla - 4-2-2007 at 11:33 AM

I'm thrilled to report a big leap forward in our ambitious
campaign to save the world's last unspoiled gray whale nursery
at San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja, Mexico.

The Mexican government has just announced that 109,000 acres of
federal lands surrounding this spectacular whale habitat will be
donated for conservation. This fantastic decision may well be
the nail in the coffin of a decade-old Mitsubishi plan to build
the world's largest industrial saltworks on the shores of the
whale sanctuary.

Mitsubishi withdrew the saltworks scheme in 2000, in the face of
worldwide opposition spearheaded by NRDC. But its Mexican
partner (ESSA) has always left open the frightening possibility
of reviving the scheme. Any such revival has now been thwarted
by Mexico's decision to protect the acreage that was critical to
the saltworks plan.

But there's even more good news.

The government made its dramatic announcement in the midst of a
full-day telethon on TV Azteca, one of Mexico's biggest TV
networks. The telethon conveyed our cause to 30 million viewers
and raised $350,000 -- money that will help our conservation
alliance buy up even more development rights around the whale's
lagoon.

That's important, because our fight to save the whale's nursery
is far from over.

San Ignacio Lagoon is still vulnerable to plans for oil and gas
drilling . . . to proposed massive high-rise hotels . . . and to
schemes for resort marinas and ocean-bound ships.

That's why it's absolutely critical that we press ahead with our
visionary plan to permanently protect all ONE MILLION ACRES of
land that surround the lagoon.

Thanks to the generosity of NRDC Members, our alliance has
already acquired the development rights for 140,000 acres of
communal and private lands -- and put them off-limits to
industry and developers forever.

When you add in the government's 109,000 acres, we've now
secured permanent protection for 249,000 acres around one of the
greatest whale breeding grounds on earth. Two years ago, such
protection was just a beautiful dream. It is fast becoming
reality.

What does it mean for the whales?

When hundreds of pregnant gray whales arrived at the lagoon this
winter -- after swimming 4,000 miles from the frigid Arctic --
they did not find a lagoon transformed by Mitsubishi into a
wasteland of round-the-clock industrial activity, toxic
pollution and ocean-going tanker traffic.

Instead, they found what generations of whales before them have
always found: the one place on earth where their newborns can
enter the world as mother nature intended: wild and free.

With your help, we intend to keep it that way.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

P.S. You can learn more about the gray whale nursery and make a
special donation that will help protect it forever by going to:
http://www.savebiogems.org/baja/

shari - 4-2-2007 at 11:45 AM

so uh...the NRDC has development rights??? riiiiight. Too bad some group doesn't address the real existing salt works in Ojo de Liebre which is main calving lagoon where there IS round the clock industrial activity, toxic pollution and heavy ship traffic that runs over sleeping whales regularly. duh?

msrla - 4-2-2007 at 12:13 PM

Shari,

"Thanks to the generosity of NRDC Members, our alliance has
already acquired the development rights for 140,000 acres of
communal and private lands -- and put them off-limits to industry and developers forever "

It's my understanding that the NRDC purchased the development rights so that the real "developers" cannot develop there. The NRDC is not a development company. But I do hear what you're saying about the salt works in Ojo De Liebre, it will be interesting to see what this latest news from NRDC means for the entire area, lets try and look at this as an encouraging step, with some healthy cynicism, of course...... :?:

DianaT - 4-2-2007 at 12:24 PM

The owner of the small Hotel Posada in San Ignacio, with lots of sadness in his heart, told us that they are going to begin paving the road to the lagoon in April --- part this year and the last next year.

I also think it is sad. However, for land owners and those with development rights, I wonder what will happen to the value :?:

I sincerely hope you are not developers.

Diane

Phil S - 4-2-2007 at 01:24 PM

Another Eco agency on top of more Eco agencies. Each attempting to "save the world"!!! Great example that there is plenty of money to throw around "anywhere" to protect whatever!!!! I'm not saying this is bad. I just wonder if any of these agencies had ever stopped to think about taking some of their millions and feed some of the poor hungry folks that live in these countries that they are "saving" the environment?????? If so, wonder what the percentage is of "food" versus buying land to keep developers from screwing up the chances of the poor getting jobs that pay better than beans & rice jobs. Workers that most likely wouldn't be thinking of 'skipping across the border into the u.s.a." if they had a job in their own country.

Mexitron - 4-2-2007 at 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jdtrotter
The owner of the small Hotel Posada in San Ignacio, with lots of sadness in his heart, told us that they are going to begin paving the road to the lagoon in April --- part this year and the last next year.

I also think it is sad. However, for land owners and those with development rights, I wonder what will happen to the value :?:

I sincerely hope you are not developers.

Diane

My understanding from the last thread on this topic was that it was the landowners themselves who agreed to keep development out and thereby maintain their rural lifestyles(ie-fishing).

David K - 4-2-2007 at 07:24 PM

Okay, where does the needed salt come from that won't cause an impact on something warm and fuzzy like the grey whales?

It would be great if there are reasonable and attainable alternatives to disturbing something like a whale breeding lagoon, to show the mining companies and public, wouldn't it?

Remember, there would be no town of Guerrero Negro without a salt mine... ('evaporative salt producing system'), and it seems the whale population has only increased since Guerrero Negro was created about 50 years ago.

Highway One would have gone through El Arco like the old main road did...

Logic... not emotions will be the best way to win over a debate.

Kencito - 4-3-2007 at 10:34 AM

Thanks for some good Baja news. It can get a tad depressing reading about all of the super sized developments going in these days. Keep up the good work at San Ignacio lagoon.

ursidae69 - 4-3-2007 at 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Remember, there would be no town of Guerrero Negro without a salt mine... ('evaporative salt producing system'), and it seems the whale population has only increased since Guerrero Negro was created about 50 years ago.

Think just maybe the whales increased in numbers because of the whaling ban? They were almost extinct.

One lagoon has been majorly impacted and I'm glad to see it won't expand to San Ignacio.

David K - 4-3-2007 at 07:17 PM

What about Magdalena Bay... Does the cargo shipping and Mexican Navy bases present any problems that need to be reckoned with?

skibum - 4-4-2007 at 01:51 PM

Yay NRDC! I'm going to donate to them online.

When I travel in Baja I always here fellow Americans lament the loss of so much to development. I'm not against development, but I think it's wonderful to preserve just a few areas.

Here's the link to give to the NRDC:

https://secure.nrdconline.org/08/nrdc_join

jerry - 4-4-2007 at 02:25 PM

why not build condos and hotels for the people coming to see the whales
then they can pick thier pockets as a captive audence :lol:

or is it? i got to see the whales and now you cant attatude
perhaps they best stop all the whale watching sightseeing boats??
put the locales out of business??

P.S. buy up the area right on the egde of the preserve
now
before all the do gooders buy it up it will be prime for developments soon
ya just cant stop progress ya can move it a little but ya cant stop it

Slowmad - 4-4-2007 at 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Okay, where does the needed salt come from that won't cause an impact on something warm and fuzzy like the grey whales?

It would be great if there are reasonable and attainable alternatives to disturbing something like a whale breeding lagoon, to show the mining companies and public, wouldn't it?

Remember, there would be no town of Guerrero Negro without a salt mine... ('evaporative salt producing system'), and it seems the whale population has only increased since Guerrero Negro was created about 50 years ago.

Highway One would have gone through El Arco like the old main road did...

Logic... not emotions will be the best way to win over a debate.

Your last line is hilarious following the cavalcade of half-baked thought preceding it (e.g. whale population in better shape because of Guerrero Negro's existence.)
And not having a town at GN would be a bad thing? The saltworks didn't employ an existing Vizcaino populace—those workers were imported.

And PhilS, your laser-precision thought processes ("Great example that there is plenty of money to throw around "anywhere" to protect whatever!!!!") are astounding.
Back to the shallow end until you do even a mote of research about the SIL.
Maybe start with studying how the fishing ejidatarios who live there felt about the impending saltworks.

jerry - 4-4-2007 at 04:23 PM

slowmad

it doesnt matter what the locals say in mexico the greengos feel they have the right to save them from themselves

David K - 4-4-2007 at 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slowmad

Quote:

I think you are mis reading my thinking... I wouldn't disagree with anything you posted.

I did not say the grey whales are better because of Guerrero Negro, I said their population has increased even with Guerrero Negro there.

I didn't say that Guerrero Negro was a good thing, either... It wasn't even there 50 years or more ago.

Of course the workers were brought in as there was no population near Scammon's Lagoon except for some ranches, fish camps, and the little towns of El Arco and Bahia Tortugas... several miles away.

Slowmad - 4-5-2007 at 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jerry
slowmad

it doesnt matter what the locals say in mexico the greengos feel they have the right to save them from themselves

Broad brushes are easy to manipulate, but generally only suitable for whitewashing.

Prime movers in the anti-Mitsubishi battle were Movimiento Azteca and Pronatura. From the spellings, I'm guessing those are Mexican orgs. Apparently the local fishermen and whale watching pangueros were'nt buying the foreigners' (Mitsubishi) bill of goods.
Guess they'll have to go back to building Zeroes.
:lol:

wilderone - 4-5-2007 at 11:53 AM

It was a world-wide effort, but it was President Zedillo's own trip to the see whales which tipped the scales.

"The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) took the lead in calling public attention to the threat. Not only did they rally support for opposition to the project but they worked through the legal and political systems to raise awareness and lobby for rational management. A coalition of Mexican environmental organizations worked tirelessly to apply pressure inside Mexico. A team of internationally recognized scientists visited the lagoon and let the world know that, in this case, they believed the value of nature far outweighed the economic benefits of a commercial salt development. Many other individuals and groups contributed to the effort, each in their own way.

Jacques Cousteau had the great pleasure of meeting with Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce De Leon, President of Mexico to discuss the project. 'We had a private meeting and talked for about 45 minutes, openly discussing the situation in San Ignacio. I shared with him my personal perspectives on the project, its impacts and the fact that I didn't believe it was either in the best interests of the local people of the region nor the country of Mexico as a whole.'

Particularly important was the work of Mexican environmental organizations, such as Grupo de los Cien, Pro Esteros, and fifty other groups, who labored to protect San Ignacio Lagoon.
Earth Island Institute's International Marine Mammal Project's campaign to persuade Mitsubishi and the Mexican government to immediately terminate the project has been a great success.