Port developments and marine democracy in Latin America

Abstract

Under the quest for continual blue growth, port developments in Latin America continue to grow, in ecological footprint and socio-economic impact. This article reviews a series of ports in Chile, Panama, and Colombia, which share a constellation of impacts, social struggles for blue justice similarly lacking marine democracy. It reviews how these different groups of fishers, NGOs and citizen scientists are coming together to challenge these issues and look for a new system of environmental impact assessment and participatory rights. Considering mixed benthic and wetland habitat in San Antonio and coral reef and mangrove complexes in Panama and Colombia, it shows how local stakeholders may have relevant, significant long-term baselines of knowledge. At the same time, ports and their consultants are systemically given effective decision monopolies over EIAs, during their own projects. Using semi structured interviews and participatory GIS it shows how across Latin America, the same issues with ports repeat, and that a joint a international agreement for marine democracy may be relevant.