STATEMENT BY ECUADOR CONCERNING PROJECT OF FERTILIZATION WITH IRON ORE IN WATERS ADJACENT TO THE MARINE RESERVE OF THE GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO
Whereas:
The Galapagos Park and the Galapagos Marine Reserve are in UNESCO’s List of World Natural Heritage Sites since 1978 and 2001, and that it is the obligation of the State of Ecuador and of all States parties to the Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites to maintain the conditions required for their conservation as a universal heritage site;
That in December 2005 the Galapagos Marine Reserve was declared a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA), with an Area to be Avoided as a buffer zone, to protect it from pollution by fuel or hazardous cargo caused by accidents or dumped from ships;
That the company PLANKTOS INC., registered in the United States of America as a geoengineering company, intends to fertilize an area of 10,000 Km2, located 350 nautical miles west of the Galapagos Islands with iron nanoparticles, with the purpose of provoking an increase in the production of phytoplankton to sequester significant amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, with the goal of minimizing the greenhouse effect;
That the geoengineering technique applied by PLANKTOS INC. does not have full scientific evaluation of the results obtained to indicate that the impacts of fertilizing the ocean with iron nanoparticles will not be harmful to the marine environment and its ecosystems;
That the Intergovernmental Panel of Experts on Climate Change believes that “Geo-engineering options, such as ocean fertilization to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere, or blocking sunlight by bringing material into the upper atmosphere, remain largely speculative and unproven, and with the risk of unknown side-effects”;
That during the 30th Meeting of the Scientific Group of the London Convention and the 1st Meeting of the Scientific Group of the London Protocol, held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, On June 18-22, 2007, scientists expressed their concern for the realization of this project, and stated that: “Knowledge about the effectiveness and potential environmental impact of iron fertilization is currently insufficient to justify large-scale operations”; and recommended that: “any such operations be evaluated carefully to ensure, among other things, that such operations are not contrary to the aims of the London Convention and London Protocol.”;
That the research made by the Navy Oceanographic Institute -INOCAR- in the marine areas of the Galapagos Archipelago have found that experiments made with iron nanoparticles may have potential impacts on marine biota and that, being an unknown experiment without evaluations of its environmental consequences, it is impossible to determine the degree of damage it may have on the species of the Marine Reserve;
That as a consequence of experiments with iron nanoparticles, the population of some species may grow out of control and create a bloom of micro algae that would cause “red tides”, some of which may be possibly toxic; and that in addition, the effects of the presence of these nanoparticles on other marine species are unknown;
THE STATE OF ECUADOR:
1. Strongly rejects the project of PLANKTOS INC. in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean and any other activity related with the dumping of iron or other substances that modify natural primary and secondary production processes, and in particular, the proposed experiment that would take place 350 nautical miles west of the Galapagos Islands, where oceanic circulation influences the maritime areas of Ecuador and its natural resources;
2. Expresses its disagreement with these geoengineering solutions, the results and impacts of which have not been sufficiently evaluated and that, with the goal of reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases, are intended to be implemented in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean;
3. Supports the declaration of the Scientific Group of the London Convention and Protocol, issued in June 2007 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
4. Warns that, if in spite of the foregoing, PLANKTOS INC. goes ahead with the project, this company and all other natural and legal persons involved will be held liable, pursuant to International Law and the national legislation in effect, for all damages resulting from the experiment they intend to conduct in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Quito, October 3, 2007