Standard Fruit Company Settles Fish Kill Lawsuit

THE administrative EnvironmentalTribunal of the Ministry of Environmentand Energy (MINAE) last week reached asettlement with the U.S. firm StandardFruit Company regarding a massive fishkill in the Pacuare river, in the Caribbeanprovince of Limón.In a conciliation agreement signed lastweek between the transnational companyand MINAE – approved by the tribunal –representatives of the company agreed topay $115,000 to repopulate the Pacuarewith various species of fish, La Naciónreported.The settlement also established thatStandard Fruit must initiate the constructionof a new airport, valued at $148,000,to prevent future ecological disastersrelated to the use of pesticides at thecompany’s banana plantations.Literally countless fish died,allegedly as a result of an accidentat the company’s airport in Batán deLimón, when a large amount of thepesticide Bravo 500 spilled from astorage tank into the river in January2003.Representatives of the RegionalEnvironmental Council of Limón said thesettlement is demonstrative of a timidgovernment, wary of chasing the fruitcompany out of the country, La Naciónreported.Still, it may have set a precedent.“This is the first time anybody hashad to pay a dime to try to figure out howto mitigate this,” said Emily Yozell, anattorney working for Justice for Nature, anon-governmental organization that hasfought legal battles on behalf of communityresidents affected by fish kills inthe region.