Report tells of health/pesticide
‘disaster’ in French Caribbean
PARIS/MARIGOT--Widespread use of pesticides in banana plantations in the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique has caused a “health disaster,” according to the author of a report to be presented to the French Parliament today, Tuesday.
“It is not too much to say that there has been a real poisoning of Martinique and Guadeloupe,” Dominique Belpomme told the daily Le Parisien on Monday.
“The situation there is extremely serious. The scientific studies we have conducted show a health disaster in the Antilles,” he said, referring to the islands.
Asked to comment Monday on the Reuters report out of Paris, St. Martin Ports Authority Commercial Director Alberic Ellis said fruit and vegetables were imported from Guadeloupe on a regular basis, but no produce came in from Martinique.
“Produce from Guadeloupe is controlled, inspected, and comes in with a sanitary document, but I think the health issue must be taken more seriously when you consider what’s coming in from other islands and the rest of the world,” Ellis told The Daily Herald.
Préfet of Guadeloupe Jean-Jacques Brot, speaking on Guadeloupe Radio Monday night, said the Belpomme report would have serious consequences for Guadeloupe. “If Guadeloupe wants to maintain good relations with the State they will have to make sure that they export quality produce to the mother country,” Brot said.
Lawyer Harry Durimel of Guadeloupe has been at the forefront of the fight against the use of pesticides. He had filed a lawsuit against the French Government a few years ago for allowing excessive use of pesticides.
“It almost cost me my career,” he said. “But I will be on RFO television tonight to continue generating public awareness now that Belpomme has stepped up the awareness with his findings.”
According to the Reuters report, French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said Belpomme’s report still needed to be confirmed by other scientific studies, but she said she “shared his concerns.”
Belpomme said the use of pesticides such as chlordecone had caused long-term contamination of soil and groundwater. The pesticide was banned from use in Guadeloupe and Martinique in 1993, but Belpomme said its effects lingered.
“In Martinique, most springs are contaminated. Fruit and root vegetables are contaminated by pesticides, some meat is as well,” he said.
He said rates of prostate cancer in the French Caribbean islands were among the highest in the world and there was a rising incidence of congenital deformities in babies.
“Extrapolations show that practically one man in two runs the risk of developing prostate cancer,” he said.
He said there was as yet no scientific proof linking prostate cancer with chlordecone, but he aimed to conduct further tests later this year.
Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier told Europe 1 radio the situation was “very serious,” but said the destruction of much of the banana stock last month by Hurricane Dean was an opportunity to change practices.
“When they replant, we’ll have a chance to use only small quantities of pesticides or none at all,” he said.
