THE ENVIRONMENTAL-QUALITY AND SOCIAL-JUSTICE IMPLICATIONS OF SHRIMP MARICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN HONDURAS

Development schemes aimed at reducing Central America's social and eco nomic problems historically have stressed intensified exploitation of the region's natural resources through augmented exports of agricultur al commodities and forest products, enhanced agricultural productivity , and expanded industrial fisheries. There is plentiful evidence docum enting how succeeding waves of export expansion have displaced small f armers from their lands often initiating cycles of repression and viol ence while also generating or intensifying environmental destruction. This paper explores the environmental quality and social justice impli cations of the current prevailing development strategy in the region, the promotion of so-called nontraditional exports. Focusing on the exp ansion of shrimp mariculture in coastal zones along the Gulf of Fonsec a, Honduras, it uses political ecological analysis to examine the inte rconnections among the dominant export-led development model, the poli cies and actions of the state, the competition among various classes a nd interest groups, and the survival strategies of an increasingly imp overished population. Analysis suggests that problems of social justic e and environmental quality cannot be understood apart from the underl ying social structure of the region.