the right to remain a wetland
saemangeum campaign in south korea
nears victory
kfem/friends of the earth south
korea
Activists have their heads shaved in front
of the President's residence to protest
against the Saemangeum wetlands reclamation
project
Friends of the Earth South Korea has
been campaigning to stop the destruction of
one of the planet's most important and
ecologically diverse tidal flats for many
years, and victory is finally in sight.
Saemangeum is the country's largest
reclamation project, involving the
construction of a seawall damming the
mouths of two rivers. The existing tidal
flats, part of Korea 's beautiful
coastline, and an important wetlands area
will be reclaimed in order to create
agricultural land and an industrial
complex. As currently planned, the project
will encompass some 41,000 hectares and
will include a 33-kilometer long
seawall.
When finished, some 22,000 local fishing
people will be deprived of their
subsistence activities. Many nearby islands
and mountains, some even in national
reserves, have been destroyed in order to
supply soil and stone to construct the
seawall and cover the tidal flat.
At least 200,000 shorebirds use
Saemangeum as a feeding stop on the East
Asian- Australasian flyway every year,
including endangered species such as the
Black-faced spoonbill, the Oystercatcher
and Saunder's gull.
steps, bows and shaved
heads
Some 86 percent of South Korean citizens
are against the plan, and their resistance
has been demonstrated in many colorful and
passionate demonstrations. In 2003, four
religious leaders carried out a ‘3 steps 1
bow' walk over a distance of 310
kilometers. Thirtythree Friends of the
Earth South Korea activists shaved their
heads in symbolic protest, and directors of
the organization went on a ten-day hunger
strike.
In November 2002, local people and
environmental groups including Friends of
the Earth South Korea took the government
to court. In July 2003, the Seoul
Administrative Court ordered the temporary
suspension of Saemangeum in light of the
massive environmental damage that is feared
to result. Friends of the Earth is not
letting up the pressure, however, and is
calling for the restoration of the tidal
flats to their original condition so that
fisher people can resume their livelihoods
and birds can flock back to the
wetlands.
news
20-02-06
cyberaction saemangeum
wetlandsl
more information:
:
Friends of the Earth South
Korea
meet friends of the earth korea on this
website
