Coalición Pro Bosque Seco Ventanas Verraco

July 28, 2010
Inter News Wire Service

The blocked access to one of the most famous beaches in the world -- Flamenco on Culebra -- was the target Tuesday of environmental advocates Corallations. Lack of admitance to the docks area and the continuing contamination of the coastal waters due to construction work in the area were also criticized.

It was not the first time. Since 2005, several environmental and community organizations have charged that since landholder Víctor García Barahona purchased plots near the docks, people have not been able to enter the beach or Lookout Point, which has been blocked by fences, a concrete wall and a tower the owner says is for bird-watching. The constructions were torn down by order of the municipality, but García Barahona acquire U.S. Fishing Services and Wildlife permits, allowing him to reforest the area with endangered trees, once again obstructing access.

Corallations Director Mary Ann Lucking presented images of three roads, supposedly constructed illegally by García Barahona without any sort of permit.

One of the roads passed through one of the Culebra forests and the other two through mouths of rivers.

“These roads have created erosion on the coasts and have discharged tons of sediments into the water, affecting essential habitat for endangered corals, endemic flora and endangered fauna,” said Lucking.

Lucking also criticized González Barahona for privatizing the picnic area and parking area, which have been traditionally used by special needs campers, such as children, disabled people and the elderly as an easy access point for the coast.

“He has eliminated the shade trees and has planted sea grapes and other endangered plant species that tower at over six feet privatizing and blocking access to the beach,” said the environmentalist.
Lucking confirmed that the damage to the area is irreparable.

Marine biologist María Vega Rodríguez said these constructions have seriously affected the Culebra ecosystems.

“Sedimentation is detrimental to aquatic ecosystems. The corals live under specific temperature and light conditions and any significant change to this might kill them,” she warned.

Vega Rodríguez noted that Flamenco Beach was being evaluated for receiving the Blue Flag as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but, she said, all of this could change.

http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Flamenco-Beach-blocked-off-from-public

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Clarification Note by Mary Ann Lucking, Coralations Director
This Inter News Wire Service article requires clarification. The historic picnic/parking area to access to the "muellecito" or shark pen has been chronically blocked by the developer over the past five years. The developer did not block access to the DRNA controlled public beach area for which the picture at the top of the article depicts, nor was this stated or circulated in any information to the press. The local people, summer camps for children and handicapped once used the alternate historic picnic parking area, now filled with mud and which has been blocked with everything from endangered trees to three inch steel pipes with heavy chains sunk in concrete over the past five years. The muddy runoff from the illegal coastal roads Victor Gonzalez Barahona constructed up steep shoreline hills and atop powerful, but intermittent river beds is now irreparably harming coastal waters.

Mary Ann Lucking
Director
CORALations