Corporate agriculture is invading Sri Lankan elephant territory and exacerbating the conflict between humans and elephants.
The Sri Lankan government, under the sanction of the Economic Development Minister, the President’s brother, Basil Rajapaksha , is allowing multinationals like Dole Corporation to bulldoze elephant habitats including those inside national parks. This is being done to grow commercial crops such as bananas, pineapple and rubber. Dole sold its holdings in Sri Lanka to Itochu Corporation of Japan that is now getting ready to ramp up operations by clearing elephant habitat around Yala National Park.
The habitat loss forces elephants onto unfenced subsistence farms in search of food and water. Farmers in desperation use electrocution and explosive pumpkins (Hakka Patas) to kill the elephants. The explosive pumpkins blow up the elephants’ mouths and they slowly starve to death. From a total elephant population of around 5,800, more than 200 elephants and 70 humans are killed each year in the human elephant conflict.
We call for an immediate halt to all agro-business operations inside elephant habitats. Countries such as Cuba which grows 60%-90% of produce consumed in cities within cities and Singapore which may soon grow 30% of its produce inside the city, show what is possible with creative thinking. The Netherlands even with a limited land area is able to export produce including bananas and is second only to USA in export of agricultural produce. Any further agricultural ventures in Sri Lanka should follow these examples and should be conducted outside elephant habitats. All current export oriented agricultural ventures conducted in Elephant territory must stop and the land should be converted to National Parks and given back to the elephants.
http://wildpride-srilanka.blogspot.com/2011/03/jumbo-survives-hakka-patas-explosion.html
http://www.savetheelephants.org/news-reader/items/hakka-patas-claims-most-elephants-40sri-lanka41.html
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/10/17/fea25.asp
http://window2nature.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/villagers-block-junction-demanding-solution-to-human-elephant-conflict/
His Excellency The President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa,
Your Excellency,
We the undersigned respectfully request that the Goverment of Sri Lanka, halt the clearing of elephant habitat for commercial agriculture. The continued clearing of elephant habitat is further exacerbating the ongoing human elephant conflict. Urban agriculture should be encouraged in place of further encroachment into elephant habitat. We also call on the Goverment of Sri Lanka to declare all remaining elephant habitat protected national parks.
Sincerely
Concerned Citizens of Sri Lanka and the World.
