Choros Island, Coquimbo Region, Chile, June 13, 2022

June 13 - Day 1

We have indeed made it and arrived on Isla Choros. And we have cutting-edge mobile phone reception here – unbelievable for me! So I won't miss the opportunity to send you a short expedition report. (sorry in advance for any spelling or grammar mistakes - I'm typing all this on my cell phone while lying in my tent).

Santiago, Landau 26 May 2022

On 18 May, the Corte Suprema (Supreme Court) dismissed appeals by affected citizens and environmental organisations against the ruling of the Antofagasta Environmental Court of 16 April 2021. At the time, the Environmental Court had found that sufficient information on the conditions of the sensitive ecosystem had been available during the environmental assessment of the "Dominga" mining and port project. The 3rd Chamber of the Corte Suprema apparently wanted to avoid a judgement. First the chamber initiated mediation (see article "Can it be 10 percent more destruction?"). Now, too, the court did not make a decision on the merits, but stated that the approval procedure had not yet been completed. With this reasoning, the Supreme Court left the decision to the Ministerial Committee of the Boric government.

Landau 16. April 2022

In the past southern spring and summer, the first surveys were carried out in the six-year project, "Research for Survival" (1) (2). The research group led by Dr. Guillermo Luna (University of Coquimbo) documented the breeding success on the islands of Choros and Chañaral, while the group led by Dr. Alejandro Simeone (Andrés Bello University, Santiago) determined the population of breeding pairs on important breeding islands. Due to bad weather conditions, e.g., strong swells, only five instead of nine planned breeding islands could be counted. The omitted counts will now be made up for in April and May, 2022.

La Serena, Landau, March 19, 2022.

In the legal dispute whether the rejection of the "Dominga Project" due to insufficient consideration of the conditions of a sensitive ecosystem was legitimate, the 3rd Chamber of the Corte Suprema wanted to avoid a judgement and initiated a settlement. The first hearings took place at the end of November last year and were to be continued on March 16 (see also article "Would you mind 10 percent more destruction").

and Environment Minister Javier Naranjo for establishing an AMCP MU behind the backs of the population

La Serena 31 January 2022

On 22 December 2021, the Ministerial Council for Sustainability (CMS) decided to designate a marine protected area "Humboldt Archipelago" with multiple uses, AMCP-MU, whose area is divided and without designating any use restrictions for the zone. Confronted with this decision, we, organisations of local fishermen, communities of the indigenous Chango people, rural drinking water committees, tourism groups, olive producers and environmental organisations from the municipalities of La Higuera and Freirina (Chañaral de Aceituno), address the President of the Republic and the Minister of Environment and demand the annulment of this vote.

On 22 December, the Council of Ministers for Sustainability approved the creation of a protection zone in the Humboldt Archipelago Marine Area. Thus, after the Corte Suprema's insistence on a comparison in the matter of the "Dominga" port of loading, the fight for the rescue of the valuable ecosystem continues to escalate (see also. Can it be 10 percent more destruction?

- Corte Suprema sets date for comparison -

Landau, Santiago 5 December 2021.

On 29 and 30 November, hearings on the Dominga mining and port project took place before the 3rd Chamber of the Chilean Supreme Court (Corte Suprema). The hearing was broadcast live.

Chronology

It is difficult in the infinitely long Dominga cycle to keep an eye on what it is all about:

Landau November 28, 2021.

The research work in Chile has started (1). The group around Dr. Guillermo Luna (Universidad de Coquimbo), which is conducting the monitoring, has marked 80 nests on the Choros Islands and 40 nests in Chañaral and is documenting breeding activity in the nests.

Landau, 25 November 2021.

The last 2 years have been very turbulent in Chile. In October 2019, millions of Chileans protested against social inequality and demanded a new constitution. The mass protests led to a referendum and elections of deputies for a constituent assembly. Presidential elections were held in Chile last weekend. A new parliament and parts of the senate were also elected. The election of the new president will be decided in a run-off on 19 December. Chile is undergoing a political and social upheaval with an uncertain outcome. This also applies to the impact on the protection of the environment and nature.