[Jo Yak Gol] Save Dolphins, Stop Military Base on Jeju Island! (Fwd)

[아름드리 나무]

(Fwd by the Peace Network)

http://peacekorea.org/zbxe/324206#0

Save Dolphins, Stop Military Base on Jeju Island!

Written by dopehead zo (조약골, peace activist, working with the Hot Pink Dolphins)

Jeju Island is a habitat for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, a locally endangered species that left about only 100 population in Korea and the number is decreasing. These rare dolphins are only found on the coast of Jeju Island, swimming in group of 20-30 individuals along the coastline all around the year. However, a massive naval base is being built in Gangjeong village, near Seoguipo city. If we allow this navy base on the southern coast, then aircraft carriers, Aegis warships and nuclear submarines will be station in this base and it will kill the rich marine environment and dolphin habitat.

It is a well-known fact that sonar used by the navy causes stranding of whales and dolphins throughout the world. The deafening sound from the sonar will badly affect the rare dolphins, probably causing the exctinction of the species around Jeju Island in the near future. According to an US Navy's studies, Navy training and sonar testing will deafen 1 million whales and dolphins in Hawaii and Southern California. Jeju naval base will have the similar impact, but here we have only about 100 dolphins left. We have stop the construction of this environmental disaster.

The South Korean goverment says that a new naval base is needed to protect Southern waters and transportation routes, but the Third Navy Fleet in Mokpo has already been assigned this job in 2007. Moreover, the Jeju Coastguard was recently established and this maritime police force is using exclusively the newly built Hwasun harbor, which gives South Korea enough fighting power to protect Southern waters. We don't need another naval base that will devour trillions of taxpayers' money. We have already spent enough budget for the job. The reason for the Jeju naval base construction project is greed that the Navy wants bigger budget and more war ships. And military industry corporations can rake in huge profit in making this useless base. 

We are very concerned that this new military installation can bring more threat to stability in the region. The US can use any military base in Korea at its will in emergency according to the forces agreement between South Korean and the US. We know that Jeju naval base is being built in a location where the US Navy can order its war ships to move immediatley to China-Taiwan conflicted region when nessesary. This is why we argue that a new naval base on Jeju can instigate arms race in East Asia and cause more conflict. Military experts explain that a new Jeju base can incite China and thus, it is not good for Korean security.

 After all, the naval base construction project on Jeju Island must be scrapped. It will increase military tension, waste massive budget and most importantly, endangered dolphin habitat will be gone. We don't need another military base on this Island of International Peace. If we can stop this devastating military project, then we can transform the construction area into a peaceful Gureombi conservation park where endangered species coexist with us and maritime environment will be preserved. This will be a precious gift that we can pass down to the next generation.