UK okays world's biggest sea reserve, angers islanders

UK okays world's biggest sea reserve, angers islanders

in.reuters.com

Britain created the world's biggest marine reserve in its Indian Ocean territory on Thursday, pleasing environmentalists but angering exiled Chagos Islanders who say it creates an obstacle to them returning home.

creation of a marine reserve, where commercial fishing is banned

Some 2,000 Chagos Islanders were forcibly removed from the archipelago in the 1960s and '70s to make way for the American base and have waged a long legal battle for the right to return.

the creation of the reserv

(visit the link for the full news article)

Chagos Islanders, who have now taken their case to the European Court of Human Rights, argue that the creation of the reserve will stop them returning home because it bars fishing, their main livelihood.

"Its creation is a major step forward for protecting the oceans," Miliband said in a statement.

Obviously this is not good news for the people
And you may find this stupid, but it's hard for me to somewhat agree with them as a strict vegetarian.

When the pirates were seizing ships I always thought it being stupid because the people in the ship could have just armed themselves. If a ship is full of unarmed people of course pirates would rob them. That goes without saying.
And international law allows them to carry arms.

That always made me think there was a reason for a sudden influx of pirate activity all of a sudden.

in.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

You've totally lost me on the pirate front but I do find this move by the UK government to be both self-serving and repugnant.

That the UK government steals an island and then leases it to the US government for the use of war and then claim the area as a peaceful sea reserve in order to keep the true people of the Chagos away from their homeland is abhorrent.

Here is an interesting read.

And some Youtube links to Stealing a Nation by John Pilger:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six

[edit on 5/4/2010 by skibtz]