Peru - Enviros oppose reduction of National Park for Oil

Peru - Ecotourism advocates oppose reduction of National Park for Oil

TAMBOPATA, PERU (2 October 2007)

The protected and pristine forest to the west and south of Tambopata Research Center in Peru, a famous ecotourism destination, can be profoundly affected by a legal amendment proposed to the Ministers Council on September 25, 2007. The amendment aims to reduce the Bahuaja Sonene National Park by 209,000 hectares (516,000 acres) and open it to oil and gas exploration, among other activities. The area at risk is an uninhabited and pristine tract of rainforest in the Candamo and Tambopata basins, home to record numbers of plant and animal species, declared by The National Geographic Society as one of the world's seven "iconic natural sanctuaries." Thousands of ecotourists visit Madre-de-Dios every year to visit the incredible spectacles of hundreds of parrots and macaws at clay licks. This is also one of the last strong holds of the world's largest otter - the Giant otter, and jaguars and other large wildlife are also abundant in the area. Environmentalists allege that a consortium of oil companies have been behind a new bill which aims to reduce the area of Bahuaja-Sonene National Park by 19.22%. It is thought that the oil and gas companies may be capitalizing on the country's recent misfortunes caused by an earthquake to push through what would have been an unpopular proposal under normal circumstances. A high-ranking government official linked to protected areas has already resigned in protest.

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