Please support our fight to stop the government of Curacao from issuing a building permit for the construction of an Eco resort at the Saliña / Rif Sint Marie, located between the villages of Jan Kok and Sint Willibrordus on the island of Curaçao.

The Saliña Sint Marie, also known locally as the Rif Sint Marie, lies between the villages of Jan Kok and Sint Willibrordus at the southwest side on the island of Curaçao, and is an environmentally protected area – by the treaty of Ramsar. This environmental protected status is also safeguarded in the island’s local zoning plan rules – the EOP.

The site has always had a natural cove, yet to create saltpans for local consumption and export to Holland slaves expanded the cove. After the abolition of slavery, the saltpans and then closed off from the sea cove felt into disrepair (dried out). Its then owner Shell did not bother to keep up the maintenance. It was not until Shell sold of these lands to the island of Curacao for 1 Antillean Gulden as part of the refinery in 1985, that the residents of the villages restored the natural supply and discharge of fresh seawater into the cove and established the current natural foraging area for flamingos.

Regardless of the ecological and cultural/historical value of these grounds to the habitants of Curacao, the government of Curacao secretly sold these grounds of to Dutch developers and the Dutch building company JanssendeJong. JanssendeJong is currently in the process of preparing its request for a building permit for the construction on these grounds of an Eco resort.

If the government of Curacao issues that building permit for the construction of an Eco resort on these ground, that lie adjacent to Saliña / Rif Sint Marie, this area will be permanently lost for both the flamingo’s and the habitants of the island of Curacao.  

In the past, the government of Curacao issued a building permit to the first buyer of these grounds. They intended to build an Eco resort with 150 units. The local courts ruled against the building permit. The current project is three times larger and will have 450 units.

Please support our fight to stop the issuance by the Curacao government of a building permit for the construction of an Eco resort at the Saliña / Rif Sint Marie in Jan Kok and Sint Willibrordus at Curaçao.

A slight alteration of the moratorium passage was requested by some supporters and after consideration, the Williwood Team agreed on a wording that would allow for both the supporters request and the Williwood area's peoples need for a moratorium. Please find the implemented amendment below.

We also demand a commitment from the government of Curacao to respect the assigned usage of land fixed in the EOP (it is a moratorium!), and only consider amending the assigned usage in exceptional cases, which must be proven by the applicant of a building permit. Building on the remaining coastal areas of the island of Curacao must be an EXCEPTIONALITY - a rare occurrence!