Caribbean Biological Corridor

[George Holmes]

Right then, the DR, Haiti and Cuba are going to set up a biological corridor. The whole point of a biological corridor is to protect species that migrate, so that they are protected in all the areas that they occupy at different times of the year.

Can anyone name one species that migrates between the DR, Haiti and Cuba? I can't. Or is this just some sort of attempt to be trendy and seemingly eco-friendly?

[rotondo]

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Places In The World

[BKS]

Originally Posted by George Holmes

Can anyone name one species that migrates between the DR, Haiti and Cuba? I can't. Or is this just some sort of attempt to be trendy and seemingly eco-friendly?

Homo sapiens?

[rotondo]

The Homosapiens From Haiti Or Cuba Trying To Get Out I Dont See
Many Dominicans Going To Either One

[Chris]

Don't know about the reasons for the biological corridor and I'm a little skeptical as well ... however Cuba can teach Haiti as well as the DR a whole lot about ecological sustainability. They may be doing some stuff that is abhorrent to others in terms of their political landscape, but do not think for one moment that they don't have it together in terms of their ecological landscape. The first national ecological conference in Cuba was held in 1980. This was before anyone in the DR could spell ecology.

The first article here will give you a little insight.
Philosophy, Cuba and Development Ethics

The author here is Richard Levins, from Harvard School of Public Health. He has advised the Cuban government for 33 years already, on ecology, agriculture and public health. Levins is a US ecologist and bio-mathematician.

"It would be wrong to attribute Cuba's changes only to the "special period" of pervasive shortages and economic crisis that arose with the disbanding of the COMECON trading block (the Soviet Union, eastern Europe, Cuba, and Vietnam). Despite the popular adage, necessity is not a sufficient mother of invention. Necessity can and often does lead to disaster. There must also be the capacity to respond to necessity, the intellectual and material resources and the flexibility to use those resources. Rather, the emergency of 1989-93 allowed ecological thinking to come to the fore against developmentalist and narrowly economic thinking. The fascination with high tech "modernization" that dominates much of the approach to development in the third world and in international institutions, was to some extent, influential within Cuba itself. The crisis made it possible for the ecologists-by-conviction to recruit ecologists-by-necessity. But the process began long before that."

[Dolores]

What about dolphins, and other sea creatures, birds... all these migrate.

[Chris]

I've not read any of the documentation in establishing this ecological corridor and I don't know if there is sealife or birdlife that migrate specifically around this area. What I do know is that the ecological problems are systemic, i.e., inherent in the broader system. So, if there is going to be any further development here, perhaps sharing of knowledge of sustainable agriculture or organic growing methods and techniques, or specific no-take zones in the oceans, or a massive tree planting effort in Haiti, or something like that, this will of course be worth while. My concern is that if the follow-through is not there, then this will be just another feel-good press release.

[Mirador]

Originally Posted by Chris

I've not read any of the documentation in establishing this ecological corridor and I don't know if there is sealife or birdlife that migrate specifically around this area. What I do know is that the ecological problems are systemic, i.e., inherent in the broader system. So, if there is going to be any further development here, perhaps sharing of knowledge of sustainable agriculture or organic growing methods and techniques, or specific no-take zones in the oceans, or a massive tree planting effort in Haiti, or something like that, this will of course be worth while. My concern is that if the follow-through is not there, then this will be just another feel-good press release.

Today's EL DIA newspaper (the printed edition) has a big write up on the corridor. You can get more detailed information on the Environment Ministry page.

[gringo1]

I think a biological or no take corridor is a great idea between these three countries. Pelagic species, such as dorado, marlin, sailfish, wahoo, kingfish,etc, while in the area will get a break from commercial fishing operations which typically hit fish populations the hardest. Just banning longlining from an area helps reduce fish mortality, as well as sea birds, turtle and mammals. But the enforcement has to be there, and I´m not sure how that will take place. Here in the DR there is virtually no offshore patrolling at present, at least on the north coast. And licensing for fishing is non existant. By contrast, the Turks and Caicos have a flourishing tourism trade for diving, and aquatic sports, and they have excellent enforcement. As in any country, eco tourism tends to provide the financial motive for eco protection. That way we don´t have to rely on politicians to guard our resources based on their moral concern over the environment. I´m all for a biological corridor.

[A.Hidalgo]

More info on the Caribbean Biological Corridor. According to the article the Dominican Republic comes into this agreement with some experience in respect to the areas in question.

The Dominican Republic has a programme for adaptation to climate change which, according to González de Gutiérrez, has so far been able to assess management of water resources and the drought in the border area, and measure temperature increases and a potential rise in sea level of up to 20 centimetres in some cases.

CLIMATE CHANGE-CARIBBEAN: Uniting Against Future Adversity