This is what Ecuadorian activist Lider Gongora, head of the National Coordination in Defense of Mangroves and RedManglar International, said in an interview with Real World Radio. These organizations estimate that mangroves in Ecuador went from 365 thousand hectares down to 108 thousand hectares.

The advance of this industry (it is estimated that there are over 230 thousand hectares with shrimp pools) goes hand in hand with a systematic violation of human rights and the displacement of thousands of families who depend on this ecosystem.

Benefits of the installation of shrimp companies were promoted during neoliberal administrations, with the support of international organizations such as the World Bank and the FAO, who spoke of the wellbeing this industry would mean for local communities.

However, Gongora states that none of those things were true and regrets that Correa´s administration –whom he supported- is strengthening these policies detrimental to mangroves. The communities started to submit claims to the Executive in October, 2008, when a decree aiming to regularize the industry of shrimp went public.

The organizations state that the decree violates the National Constitution and is not consistent with the promises made by Correa.

“The developed world wants to eat that delicious shrimp. But they don´t know at what costs it is being produced. The consumers should be aware that they are eating the spilled blood of our peoples”, said Gongora.

Shootings, attacks and at least six Ecuadorian leaders murdered because of their struggle against the industry of shrimp is part of the result of this long history of abuses against communities. RedManglar has information of murders related to this issue in Bangladesh (approximately 150 cases), Honduras, Guatemala and Brazil.

Photo:http://members.fortunecity.com/