Conservationists have congratulated a British firm which has become the first to pull out of the race to exploit a wildlife haven in Kenya.
European renewable fuel targets mean the Tana River Delta in
Kenya – a key site for threatened bird species as well
as Hippopotamus and rare primates – is being targeted by companies hoping to
grow biofuel crops.
The RSPB and others have been fighting the proposals which
will destroy one of the most important wetland wildlife sites in Africa.
Now G4 Industries Limited, based near Cambridge,
UK, have withdrawn their
proposal for a 28,000 ha project at Tana, citing growing evidence of
environmental issues.
Tim Stowe, RSPB Director of International Operations, said:
“We congratulate G4 Industries on their wise decision. They have listened to all
the evidence about the impact of plantations in the Tana Delta and have done
the right thing. We hope other companies with similar proposals in the area
will now start to follow suit and withdraw their plans. This is fantastic news
for wildlife and people in the Tana River
Delta. It is a truly remarkable place and it must be
protected from the rush for biofuels which will cause more damage to our planet
than the fossil fuels they replace.’’
Mike Pond, Executive Director of G4 Industries, said: “We
have become increasingly concerned about
the environmental implications of operations
in the Tana Delta and we have now decided to withdraw from the region.’’
‘‘Sustainable farming is key to the world’s development but
it is essential that these operations are carried out in harmony with the
environment and working hand in hand with local governments and environmental
organisations. This means avoiding areas of wildlife habitat and green field
sites where a natural balance cannot be maintained.’’
‘‘It is interesting to note that 90 per cent of African
farming operations, particularly subsistence farming, are delivering less than
30 per cent of the yield that could be achieved. Much work is required to
address this issue
Bedford Biofuels Inc, a Canadian company, recently started
work on their own 10,000 ha project to grow the controversial biofuel crop
Jatropha in the Delta. Although described as a ‘pilot’, the plan is Phase 1 of
a project aims ultimately to see jatropha plantations on over 60,000 ha in the
Delta and surrounding area. The plant has been
hailed as a miracle biofuel crop, but in fact, fully
rigorous scientific evaluation is yet to be done.
Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya,
said: “We call on Bedford Biofuels to follow the example of G4 and withdraw
their project. Their assertion that the land in the delta is currently large
and unutilised is simply not true: the land is used by pastoralist communities
and in the dry season there can be as many as 1.5 million
animals there.’’
‘‘Indeed, in times of drought like this year there could be
as many as 3 million animals there. We hope that Bedford
reconsiders its plans for Tana and we will continue to raise the issue with the
Kenyan authorities to ensure their proposals do not harm the area’s precious
wildlife.”
