Twelve fishermen came to Jorge and told him how shrimp farms were polluting the waters where they fished and destroying the coasts where they lived. They asked him to help organize in opposition to the powerful shrimp farming industry. Jorge, whose research was already critical of these destructive practices, agreed to get involved.

“I had been trying to rein in aquaculture, to find ways that it could be done sustainably, without hurting the wildlife or the local fishermen, or contaminating the environment,” Jorge explained. “But in Honduras, it’s the shrimp farmers and other business groups that control the government.”

However, the university was not supportive of Jorge’s new activism. He was told that he must either stop working with the fishermen or else quit his job. So, Jorge left the university, and was unable to find work anywhere. “The politicians made sure of that,” Jorge remarked.

Unemployed, Jorge committed himself completely to working with the fishermen. They consolidated a community-based organization called Committee for the Defense and Development of the Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca, CODDEFFAGOLF, for short. Small-scale shrimp farmers, fishermen, peasants and schoolteachers joined them, and many groups formed in communities along the Pacific coast of Honduras. Now ten thousand strong, they fight the destruction of their natural resources, to defend their livelihoods, their human rights, and their lives.

In the years 1995-1998, CODDEFFAGOLF convinced the government to put a moratorium on the construction of new shrimp farms, although it was not enforced. They are currently speaking out against a destructive national mining law, and promoting new forest and fishing regulations. CODDEFFAGOLF has received three international recognitions, and in 1999, Jorge received the Goldman Environmental Prize for grassroots activism.

It’s not an easy life: twelve fishermen have been murdered, and Jorge’s life is in constant danger. Despite the risks, Jorge does not regret his decision to form CODDEFFAGOLF. When asked what is his favorite part of his job, he replied: “Everything. Absolutely everything.”

“I am glad that I am leaving my mark,” he continued. “We are a humble organization of fisherfolk, peasants, environmentalists and we have a voice. We are heard.”

Want to find out more? Visit CODDEFFAGOLF’s Web site.