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Fight to remove Fish & Wildlife from Vieques begins
Nongovernmental Vieques leaders assured Tuesday that they would fight to have the island municipalityâs eastern land that will be given to the U.S. Department of the Interior transferred to the Puerto Rico government. They also did not rule out resorting to a new campaign of acts of civil disobedience against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service because they claim that the custodianship of the land that will be left by the U.S. Navy does not belong to that agency. "This land is ours. We donât recognize any moral right of the Fish & Wildlife Service to take over this land," said in a press conference Ismael Guadalupe, one of the spokesmen of the Pro Rescue and Development of Vieques Committee. See, it never was about bombing or morals, it's about development. On Thursday, the Navy is to hand over the land it has occupied on the eastern side of the island municipality, at which time 900 acres of the firing range will be closed. The other 13,600 acres will become a wildlife refuge, also under the control of the federal government. Can't build condos and hotels on a wildlife refuge. Guadalupe warned that what has occurred is "a change of adversary" because Viequenses will still have restricted access to the land. Meanwhile, Vieques fisherman Carlos Zenon denounced that personnel of the Fish & Wildlife Service have already tried to interfere with fishermen. He indicated that a fisherman was fined for catching crabs and other crab fishermen later challenged the officials while gathered at the same spot but were not intervened. "No Blood For Crabs" just doesn't have the same ring, does it? Zenon demanded that Gov. Sila Calderonâs administration immediately seek ownership of the land so that the Navy cannot reassume its jurisdiction over the land. Think we'll hear from Greenpeace, ELF, or any of the other liberal animal rights groups demanding that this land remain a wildlife refuge? Me neither. Posted by: Steve 2003-04-30 |
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