Endangered natural reserves in Chile: Damas y Choros, Chanaral

Chile is a coastal country, with more than 4,000 km of coastline there is no doubt about that. But it only has 5 marine reserves, which represent around 0.03%, much less than the 10% the country is supposed to preserve according to the summit at Johannesburg in 2002.

Today the marine reserve Isla Chanaral (Chanaral Island) and Isla Damas y Choros (Damas y Choros Island) and also the natural reserve Pinguino de Humboldt are endangered by two different thermoelectric projects. This unique ecosystem is home to 800 species, among them 80% of the world’s population of Humboldt penguin, an important colony of Bottlenose dolphin, and it is also an obligated pass for various cetaceans, 19 different whales and dolphins, Minke whale, Fin whale, Humpback whale, Blue whale to name some.

Two companies, CMP with Cruz Grande Project (300 mw) which would be located 20 km from the reserves, and Suez Energy (French-Belgian capitals) with Barrancones Project (540 mw) 25 km, both projects would be located south of the reserves, in a place where the currents and winds will take the pollution directly to the reserves.

Today Chile’s environmental legislation is non existent in the thermoelectric theme, end the zoning is non explicit about it either. The country is working on creating a new environmental institution, lets hope it’s gonna help the environment and not just the big companies.

Photo: arthurgrosset