TATO joins fight against TATA

There is encouraging news this week from Tanzania, where conservationists, local communities and tourism operators are united in a battle against the threat to Lake Natron’s lesser flamingos, from plans for industrial scale soda ash extraction.

The proposals threaten the world famous flocks of flamingos that grace the Great Rift Valley and act as a major draw for tourists from across the world.  Leading flamingo experts, numerous BirdLife partners and Sir David Attenborough have all heavily criticised the scheme, a joint venture between the Tanzanian government and Tata Chemicals – part of the Tata group that is poised to acquire Jaguar and Land Rover.

At a public hearing in Dar Es Salaam earlier this week, there was overwhelming opposition to the proposals. The RSPB’s Dr Chris Magin read out a statement from the Tanzanian Association of Tour Operators (TATO) including, ‘over and above the loss that the tour operators will make, the country will lose in terms of taxes, employment and the economic trickle down effect.’

A delegation from the local community argued there was no point accepting ‘a gift that will later destroy us’, with one traditional chief comparing building the plant to ‘taking a fish and throwing it into the bush.’ As the meeting closed, a renowned local artist reminded the 100 strong audience that ‘Tanzania is the country where Noah’s ark offloaded its cargo’ and consequently it has a duty to protect this rich wildlife heritage.

The views expressed at the meeting will be taken into account in a report which will make recommendations to the Minister responsible for deciding what happens to the proposal.

Writing about Lake Natron, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata has given his assurance that ‘we will do nothing to threaten the wildlife and ecology of that area.’ In a recent letter to RSPB chief executive Graham Wynne, the MD of Tata Chemicals stated, ‘It could well be that this project is impossible to carry out without significant risk to the survival of the Lesser Flamingo, but that point, in our opinion, has not yet been reached.’

After this week’s meeting that point is surely getting closer.