http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2007/11/Lake_Natron_reprieve.html

Flamingo threat put on temporary hold

02-11-2007

A temporary lifeline has been thrown to the one
million lesser flamingos of Tanzania’s Lake Natron,
threatened by huge industrial development on their
most important breeding site in the world.

The plan to build a soda ash plant on the lake, in
northern Tanzania in the Great Rift Valley, has been
thrown out for now and the developers, Lake Natron
Resources, have been ordered to produce a new and
better environmental statement and consider other
sites for soda ash extraction. The firm is jointly
owned by the Indian company TATA Chemicals and the
Tanzanian Government.

Dr Mike Rands, Chief Executive of BirdLife, said: “The
proposal to develop Lake Natron for soda ash
extraction is misguided and the decision today is a
victory for conservation and for common sense.

“The flamingos are not safe yet. The developers should
choose another location for extracting soda ash and
abandon their plans for Lake Natron”.

Groups reporting to Tanzania’s environment ministry
called time early on today’s meeting to assess the
developer’s obligatory environmental assessment for
the soda ash plant.

Of the 14 bodies present, including conservation
groups, national parks and the EU, representing
donors, most said the development should be rejected
because of the risk of driving away the flamingos,
harming other species and irreversibly damaging Lake
Natron, which is protected by international law.

Lota Melamari, Chief Executive of the Wildlife
Conservation Society of Tanzania, who was at today’s
meeting said: 'The survival of the lesser flamingo
must not be jeopardised.”  


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