WILLEMSTAD - Carmabi is not against the large-scale development of Oostpunt (East Point), but believes that decisions about an area that covers 10 percent of the island should be made carefully. That is why the environmental and nature foundation has appealed this week.
Carmabi has been involved in a lawsuit against the Curaçao government since 2017 regarding the large-scale development at Oostpunt. The court ruled on December 1, 2021 that the national ordinance that allows for the development of the area will continue to exist in its current form.
Over the past 5 years, this lawsuit has caused a lot of confusion, says the foundation that manages, among other things, the Shete Boka and Christoffel nature parks.
For example, Carmabi has been accused of wanting to develop Oostpunt itself, of wanting to build an airport, of being against any form of development on Oostpunt or even against the economic development of the island in general. "However, Carmabi has no ambition whatsoever to want to develop Oostpunt itself, but only believes that the extent to which Oostpunt could be developed should be determined on the basis of correct information and careful (legal) procedures," said Carmabi in a press release.
Protection of unique nature
The legal dispute between Carmabi and the Curaçao government revolves around the National Ordinance Revision East Point, which was adopted at the beginning of 2017. According to Carmabi, this National Ordinance came about without proper substantiation. The foundation then decided to go to court to enforce a reconsideration of the plans for Oostpunt on the basis of existing information about the area and the rest of the island.
This prevents constructions from determining the appearance of the entire area, as is now possible under the new national ordinance. It also prevents the unique natural diversity and the presence of unique ecosystems of Curaçao from being lost.
Alternative plan
Carmabi has therefore for several years proposed an alternative principle for the development of Oostpunt whereby approximately 30 percent of the easternmost part of the Oostpunt area is established as a large continuous conservation area.
In this way, Curaçao would also meet the internationally widely used minimum of 30 percent for the surface of an area that should be made available for nature conservation.
The area has also been chosen in such a way that the coral reefs along the coast can be spared from various forms of pollution.
Carmabi: “Decisions about development within nature reserves that will have adverse consequences for the island's natural environment should therefore be considered in order to prevent irreversible errors and consequences of ill-considered development as much as possible. As long as this is not the case, Carmabi will be forced to try to enforce such a consideration through the courts.”
Concept of Carmabi's proposal to designate a part of the Oostpunt area as a conservation area. The areas on land that flow out into the area between Hamrak and Punt Kanon would be freed from construction in order to protect the reefs along the coast in particular.