Press release - July 3, 2007
LONDON/BOMBAY, United Kingdom — True to their migratory nature, endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles showed up in the UK today, calling on the TATAs at their recently acquired Corus Steel offices in London, urging them to drop their plans to construct a mega port in the midst of sea turtle mating and feeding grounds at Dhamra on the coast of Orissa, India. The turtles sought a meeting with Corus and unfurled a banner that read 'Corus Don't Say TATA To Turtles'.
Greenpeace volunteers in London deliver a message to Corus, who are part of the TATA Group, to ask them to reconsider the port they are building in India which is near one of the last nesting grounds of the endangered olive ridley sea turtles.
The Dhamra port is coming up less than 15 km. from the world's
largest mass nesting beaches for the species, at Gahirmatha.
Between 200,000 turtles to 500,000 turtles have been known to nest
at Gahirmatha every year. A recent scientific assessment has
established the presence of turtles in the offshore waters, as well
as rare species at the port site itself. (1)
"The TATAs need to keep in mind their growing global reputation
and demonstrate the responsible behaviour they like to be known
for. Their continued involvement in the Dhamra project will
besmirch their reputation worldwide and is not behaviour that is in
keeping with an environmentally responsible corporation", said
Sarah Shoraka, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace UK.
Responding to questions raised on Greenpeace's report
'Biodiversity Assessment of Dhamra Port Site and Surrounding Areas,
Orissa', Ashish Fernandes, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace India said
"The principle investigator of the study, Dr. S.K.Dutta, was fully
aware of the final report prior to its publication. The report was
made public at Mumbai on June 8th, 2007, in a press conference
jointly addressed by Dr. S.K.Dutta and myself. Quite clearly the
ball is in the North Orissa University's court to explain the
reasons for this sudden switch in their position. Moreover, the
important question which warrants an answer now is what are the
forces driving State Government representatives and the University
to raise such allegations, almost a month after the report was
released."
Greenpeace has been in touch with the TATAs since May 2007 on
this matter, but the company has yet to address the issues raised
comprehensively. The TATA Group has continued to claim publicly
that the port will not impact turtles, though they have not been
able to provide any evidence for this statement. The company is yet
to respond to specific scientific concerns raised by Greenpeace,
through the Critique of the Dhamra EIA report (2) as well as the
findings of the biodiversity assessment which Greenpeace had
commissioned.
"Contrary to some media reports, Dr. Dutta has firmly stood by
his scientific findings as published in the report, which has
established the presence of turtles and other rare species at
Dhamra. It is high time Mr. Ratan Tata, to keep his promise that
the TATA group will not harm the turtles, and the only way to do
this is to withdraw from the Dhamra project", added
Fernandes.