The Red Frog Beach Resort is named for the strawberry poison-dart frog, but the area’s reefs, beaches, and mangrove areas support many other species, including four species of sea turtles and countless species of migratory and tropical birds.  Since 2007, when Red Frog began construction, local environmentalists and indigenous people have spoken out to protect this important coastal refuge.  In fact, despite its claims of environmental responsibility, the resort developers were fined $130,000 in 2007 and required to install a 25-hectare (over 60 acres) forest buffer to mitigate erosion damage from construction activities.

When the National Environmental Authority (ANAM) approved the Phase 2 environmental impact assessment, which would include up to 800 additional living units, luxury hotel facilities, and a large marina, CIAM decided to file a brief with the Supreme Court to challenge the decision.  This is a high-profile tourism development project; a decision in CIAM’s favor could set a legal precedent for other projects that are under consideration by ANAM. 

Under the direction of Legal Director Lina Vega, CIAM filed its administrative brief with the Supreme Court of Appeals in November 2007, in representation of the communities that have always lived in the island.  As part of the discovery process, CIAM was able to interrogate the deverloper’s representatives in June 2008, and this November, the court annulled ANAM’s approval of Red Frog Beach’s Phase 2 development.  This result has received widespread praise in international circles and media attention in Panama; even Tourism Minister, Ruben Blades, offered an editorial this month to clarify the administration position on the project.

For a coastal development project that could potentially impact three miles of beachfront in a protected area, CIAM’s victory will certainly improve environmental conditions in Bastimentos National Park.

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