Ecobreves – HONDURAS: A Law to Save a Lake

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TEGUCIGALPA, Apr 21 2007 (IPS) - The Honduran Congress is debating a bill to halt the deterioration suffered by the northern Lake Yojoa, an area which holds great biodiversity. Lawmaker Alfredo Saavedra, Secretary of Congress, told Tierramérica that the situation, stemming from waste dumped into the lake, “has pushed it to the verge of extinction, within the next 10 years.”

The unicameral Congress is expected to pass the proposed law in a month, creating a regulatory body with the task of making sure that area businesses don't continue to pollute the lake, said Saavedra.

A two-hour drive from Tegucigalpa, Yojoa's surroundings are home to 169 species of fern, 46 kinds of orchid, 15 endemic plants and an array of fauna, such as the howler monkey, spider monkey, and jaguar.