Chemical Once Used On Banana Crops Threatens Livelihoods....

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Social & Environment Health

Pesticides
 Article by: Martine Valo

Guadeloupe and Martinique threatened as pesticide contaminates food chain
Chemical once used on banana crops threatening livelihoods and public health by polluting soil and sea 

 First published on Mon 6 May 2013 10.24 BST
• This story appeared in Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material from Le Monde
Find it here


On 15 April more than 100 fishermen demonstrated in the streets of Fort de France,  the main town on Martinique, in the French West Indies. In January they barricaded the port until
the government in Paris allocated €2m ($2.6m) in aid, which they are still waiting for.
The contamination caused by chlordecone, a persistent organochlorine pesticide, means their spiny lobsters
are no longer fit for human consumption. The people of neighbouring Guadeloupe are increasingly angry for the same reason. After polluting the soil, tlhe chemical is wreaking havoc out at sea, an environmental disaster that now threatens the whole economy.

"I've been eating pesticide for 30 years so I carry on eating my fish.  But what will happen to my grandchildren?" asks FrankNétri who has fished off the south-east coast of Guadeloupe all his life. Aged 46, he sees little scope for a change of trade. Yet he knows he has no option: the area where fishing has been banned will soon be extended.  In 2010 a offshore decree placed the offshore limit at 500 metres.  It will soon be 900 metres.

Chlordecone (aka Kepone) is known to be an endocrine disruptor  and was listed as carcinogenic in 1979. The coastline was the last part of the island to be contaminated...[READ MORE]


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