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Hidden deep within the Amazon rainforest in the south of Colombia is Lake Tarapoto, home to a rare and almost mythical species: Inia geoffrensis or pink river dolphin. Thought by some to be extinct, this fresh-water dolphin had simply been forgotten and in 1987 a Colombian biologist, Fernando Trujillo, made it his life mission to study and protect them.

It wasn’t easy for him. Not only had he to understand the local Indian culture, but he also had to deal with a corrupt local bureaucracy, a far from ecofriendly fishing lobby and the vested interests of the logging and industrial sectors, which were busy polluting the river close to the lake. And then there was the rainforest itself, where the delicately balanced ecosystem is at odds with every aspect of the modern world.

Trujillo began a study of flowers growing near the lake after he heard an old myth that fish are created from the falling petals of a magical tree. It was an enchanting explanation for what turned out to be a biological truth. Many of the fish in the lake relied upon these petals for food. Any deforestation would therefore help to deplete an important source of food for the fish.

Trujillo has come to see the dolphins as part of the wider, carefully balanced ecosystem and has encouraged the local Ticuna tribe to rediscover traditional fishing methods. The use of spears for fishing might not be as effective in the short-term as nets, but they are preferable when fish stocks have been reduced to a nonsustainable level. It has been revealed that, until recently, nearly thirty dolphins died every year after being caught in fishermen’s nets. Now the number of deaths is down to two or three a year.

3) Role-play “Developing tourism at Lake Tarapoto”

In groups of five, each choose a role-card for a debate. Read your role-card and make notes on what you are going to say. Be prepared to state your case either for or against the development and be able to justify your reasons. Then, in your group, hold a meeting to discuss the plan. As a means of boosting the local economy, the Colombian government is considering developing tourism at Lake Tarapoto. As well as those from the business world who are in favour of such a development, there is some resistance from the local community, who feel that this place of natural beauty could be irreparably damaged.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-21