Conservationists say oil hunt damages Congo park - Reuters

[Eugene]

Conservationists say oil hunt damages Congo park
05 Jan 2007 11:42:39 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Christian Tsoumou

BRAZZAVILLE, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Oil exploration activities, including
underground explosions, are seriously damaging Congo Republic's most
diverse ecological zone in violation of national park legislation,
conservationists say.

Stretching from deep in the Atlantic Ocean to the central African
country's inland hills, Congo's Conkouati-Douli National Park is home
to a host of rare and endangered species including leatherback turtles,
mandrills, gorillas and chimpanzees.

The U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) says oil exploration
by Zetah, a subsidiary of French oil company Maurel & Prom <MAUP.PA>,
is damaging the park's habitat and says the Brazzaville government should
never have granted exploration rights because the law creating the park
prohibits it.

"Zetah oil company is causing serious environmental damage, increased
poaching pressures, and general disturbance through terrestrial oil
exploration activities," Paul Elkan, director of the WCS programme in Congo,
told Reuters late on Thursday.

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Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04474268.htm