5 December 2006
Action against destructive development in Los Cabos
by Irene, onboard the Esperanza
© Greenpeace/Alex Hofford
On our way to shore we passed the wetland of San Jose del Cabo, where an enormous flock of birds took off. This wetland will soon be history if the Los Cabos Project is not stopped. One little wetland - perhaps that doesn't sound so important. Where I come from for example water shortage is never an issue. But there is a reason why there is a local NGO here called the "Angels of the Wetland" - Los Ángeles del Estero. This wetland is the most important fresh water source of the region.
Activists in chains
© Greenpeace/Alex Hofford
Los Cabos is not what you would call a "pristine area", especially compared to what we've seen the last week sailing down from San Felipe. There are houses and hotels on the beach already. But this is nothing compared to what it will become in the near future if this project is not halted. 2 golf courses, 3 large hotels, 1168 houses, three beach clubs, two theme parks and a marina for 500 boats will definitely change the pretty view, and what is worse, cause irreparable damage to the environment. I just can't get over the pure absurdity in building golf courses in an area where the population suffers fresh water restrictions! It is as bizarre as planting rainforest in the Arctic. Unfortunately there are similar tourist development plans for the whole of the Gulf of California.
After dropping off Alejandro, Miguel and the photographers we were on standby by the beach. Paul, still shivering from the chilly boat ride, was happy to find a jacket lying around. Matt tried to have a little nap under a banner, and I curled up on deck behind the wheel. Natasha was the only one who didn't seem tired at all, patiently waiting at the front of the Novi, the smaller boat. You want the behind the scenes truth about Greenpeace actions? Well this is it! Nah, just kidding. But waiting is often a part of it.
Meanwhile more people arrived at the construction site. Two ladies from Los Cabos came with pictures of what the wetland used to look like only a few years ago. The difference to what the wetland looks like today was striking, and I don't even want to think about what it will be like a few years from now. Eventually the police arrived on the scene. We overheard them telling a journalist that they didn't want to intervene since it was obvious that ours was a peaceful protest.
When leaving the site, we left something to remember us by: the machine are still locked up with chains, and we have handed over the keys to the mayor of Los Cabos.
But that is not all: a group of people from Los Cabos was inspired by the action, and now they continue the protest against the project. At 14.00 hrs today they will gather at what used to be a popular plaza, but is now part of the construction site.
Egret in the wetland
© Greenpeace/Alex Hofford
- The constructors have discharged waste into the wetland.
- Vegetation has been cut illegally.
- The freshwater wetland has been polluted with saltwater.
- For some parts of the project no assessments of impacts on the environment have been made.
- For other parts of the project which have been granted environmental permits, the conditions have not been followed.
We have to sail away from the Baja Peninsula now, heading east, but that does in no way mean that we give up - our team in Mexico will continue to work on the issue. We plan to take legal action against the Questro Group for their illegal development.
Comments
Lemme see.
They can have a golf course or they can have fresh water?...
Absurd doesn't even begin to describe this project.... :(
Posted by: Jen at December 6, 2006 12:32 PM
Good job. It's noce to see that even when you're gone, people will stay there and defend there wetland. I applaud the police who saw that you were peaceful... Wish it could happen all the time.
Posted by: Juliette at December 6, 2006 12:37 PM
IM NOT AGREE WITH YOU GREENPEACE´S HUMANS , I LIVE IN LA PLAYA WHERE THE BEAUTIFULL DEVELOPMENT OF PUERTO LOS CABOS IS GETTING PLACE. I THING YOU DONT NOW THE PLACE BUT THE MARINA AND THE STUARY ARE IN DIFERENT LOCATION THEY ARE CLOSE BUT THEY HAD A LOT OF ENVIROMENT STUDIES WHERE THE STUARY WILL NOT BE DAMAGE. I DO YOU NEW THAT? PUERTO LOS CABOS ITS THE ONE INTERESTED IN RECOVER THE DAMAGE THAT THE SAN JOSE´S STUARY HAD. ITS READY TO DO A TRUST TO RESTORE THE STUARY I DONT NOW IF YOU NEW THAT. I HOPE YOU STILL DO THING RIGHT TO THE EVIROMENT AND TRAY TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT IT AND DONT JUST LISTENG JUST ONE PERSON THANKS
Posted by: ALBERTO at December 7, 2006 2:20 AM
Thank you for your comment Alberto.
It is pretty obvious where the marina is located since anyone can SEE it - right next to the wetland.
Most people where you live do not seem to agree that the Los Cabos project is "beautiful", quite the contrary.
The conditions for the environment permits are constantly broken by the Questro Group.
The Questro Group was offered 2 other locations to build the marina, but chose the worst one from an environmental point of view. The Questro Group have said for several years that they will repair the damage they've caused to the wetland, but so far nothing has been done.
We don't act without evidence.
/Iréne
Posted by: Irene at December 7, 2006 3:52 PM
Wow... Based on your evidence you shouldn't act at all. The wetlands and estuary are regularly polluted every time it rains from the towns located upstream. Every time the surf gets large during periods of high tidess saltwater regularly comes over the berm anyway. Where the marina is being built is not at the main estuary, and was usually dry land to the east unless there was a major flood. The primary estuary hasn't been affected at all, and in fact, there will be significant work to improve it and to help it from becoming polluted every time it rains. Granted, additional pollution from the boats in the marina and coastal development will be a concern just like everywhere else. Also, the fresh water for the gold courses will be recycled, and nobody in their right mind would every consider drinking the water in the estuary. In fact, all of Cabo's water comes from underground aquafilters that are fed by the rain runoff much further upstream and nowhere near the marina development so there would not be any affect. I have nothing to do with this development in any way, and like you, I was also concerned about the impacts as I regularly surf right in front of the estuary when it isn't polluted. But unlike you, I actually did review the facts and evidence before I formed an opinion. Quite frankly, your representations in this case shed a very poor light on the work of Greenpeace. Sean...
Posted by: Sean at December 7, 2006 10:48 PM
I always cheer and courage you, REMEMBER!
Posted by: Riae at December 8, 2006 4:36 AM
i love you guys! keep up the good work! i hear that soon you guys are getting off, be sure to have some margaritas for me, and give rose a big, big hug for yours truly! lovely job out there, let's do it again very soon.
viva paez!
steve
Posted by: steve-o at December 8, 2006 8:10 AM
no hay mas ciego que aquel que no quiere ver...
there is no more blind of that who does not want to see.
CONGRATULATIONS X UR JOB, AND WE HOPE TO SEE U SOON THIS PLACE NEEDS MORE ACTIVISM, & MAKE THE PEOPLE THINK, BUT THE THING IS HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT PEOPLE WITH POWER AND MONEY TO THINK WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO OUR ENVIROMENT.THEY ARE JUST THINKING IN DEVELOPMENT AND COST ITS NOT IMPORTANT X THEM EVEN WHEN THE COST IS BIRDS, FISH....LIFE....THE LIFE OF OUR WETLAND IS DIEING BECAUSE OF THE PROGRESS...AND IS MORE TERRIBLE WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO LIVES HERE CAN NOT SEE THAT.
Posted by: veronica at January 4, 2007 3:45 AM
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