Friday, October 06, 2006

Governor General Halts Development at Lac Bay

Yesterday, the Governor General of the Netherlands Antilles suspended a decision of the Bonaire Executive Committee to allow a development project bordering Lac Bay, without an adequate EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), in order to comply with the regulations of the Ramsar Convention.

The Governor’s suspension of Bonaire’s permit for the project is based on Art. 98 and 102 of the Island Regulation of the Netherlands Antilles (ERNA) which allows the Governor General to step in when an island decision or ordinance is in conflict with international agreements, conventions, or the public interests of the Kingdom. In this case, Bonaire’s Executive Committee decision was in conflict with the requirements of the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. Bonaire itself nominated the Lac Bay area as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1980.

Click here for additional information (in Dutch and in pdf format).  (Source:  MINA Communication)