LARGE-SCALE SHRIMP FARMING IN COASTAL WETLANDS OF VENEZUELA, SOUTH-AMERICA - CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF LAND-USE CONFLICTS

In Venezuela, large-scale shrimp farming began in the 1980s. By 1987, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARNR) had received 14 proposals for approval. A developer illegally started the construc tion of ponds at the Piritu Lagoon in the State of Anzoategui before t he authorization process was completed. This action triggered a land-u se conflict. This study identifies the causes for public protest and d etermines the consequences of this conflict for land-use management. T he results show that public protest was based on the impacts of the pa rtial construction of ponds. These impacts were related to direct remo val of wetlands, interruption of natural patterns of surface flows, an d alteration of feeding grounds of some bird species with migratory st atus. Consequences were identified in relation to the role that nongov ernmental organizations (NGOs) play in land-use conflicts and the acti ons that MARNR could take in the future to prevent and solve similar s ituations.