e-postoffices please pass print or mail texts to:
President of Ukraine L. Kuchma
Prime Minister of Ukraine V. Yanukovich
Chairman Of the Verkhovnaya Rada Committee of Ukraine on National Safety and Defense G.Kryuchkov
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine A.
Zlenko
Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources V. Shevchuk
Minister
of Economy and European Integration of Ukraine
V.Khoroshkovsky
Minister
of Transport of Ukraine G.Kirpa
Chairman
of Committee on Border Control N. Litvin
Head of Administration Odessa Region S Grineveckiy
per e-mail
Dear President,
Dear Ministers,
Dear Committee
Chairman,
Gentlemen,
We are aware that, for a year and a half, the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences together
with environmental NGOs have put up resistance to the attempts by the Ukrainian
Ministry of Transport to construct a deep-water ship canal through the Bystroe Estuary within the strictly protected zone
of the Danube Biosphere transnational reserve.
Last
December 2002 more than 300 organizations in 64 countries protested to the President of Ukraine against this critical threat
to the reserve.
We are
now appalled to hear that Minister Georgy Kirpa is planning to withdraw the estuaries from the protected area and that the
proposal will be considered on 10 April 2003 by the Ukrainian Parliament Committee on National Safety. We do not understand
why the alternative canal variant, which would bypass the sensitive areas of the reserve, is not on their agenda.
The
facts are that the canal construction will irreversibly change the hydrological regime of the delta, disturb natural processes
of delta formation, inescapable pollution of the ecosystem by oil products, change the habitat for most of the species, decrease
of the trade fishery amount, will threaten endangered species inhabiting the area. In particular the nesting of tens of thousand
birds will be threatened. The reserve will lose almost all staging areas for migrating waterfowl and waders. Altogether 223
species of birds, including 5 on the European Red List and 31 in the Ukraine Red Book will be affected as well as many rare
and disappearing species of mammals and insects.
The
outcome would be that the Danube Biosphere Reserve will lose its importance on an international and national level. Furthermore
the proposed construction project violates both national legislation and international obligations of Ukraine.
We do
not implacably and thoughtlessly oppose ship transit through the Ukrainian part of the Danube delta. We do
however feel that you should positively consider other alternative canal variants; which also have a chance of attracting
investment and sparing the taxpayer and the environment.
We note
especially that the Ukraine is hosting the European Ecoforum in May 2003. We will write as necessary to all
European states to bring this matter to their attention.
In the
hope that the Ukrainian authorities will take all necessary measures for conservation and not degradation - of the Danube
Delta reserve we remain,
Yours
sincerely,
[Name and Address]
