August 8, 2013
1999 Goldman Prize recipient Jorge Varela recently announced that he is coming out of retirement to head up Honduras’ Association of Fisherfolk of the Gulf of Fonseca (APAGOLF) as executive director.
Jorge Varela was awarded the Goldman Prize in 1999 for his marine conservation work in Honduras, particularly his efforts to protect the ecological diversity of the Gulf of Fonseca from the unsustainable practices of industrial shrimp farming.
In 1988, Varela founded the Committee for the Defense and Development of Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF), as part of an emerging grassroots movement challenging the appropriation of natural resources in Central America.
In January 2013, after nearly 25 year of service, Varela announced his retirement from CODDEFFAGOLF, but continued to stay involved in the struggle of gulf communities to secure their rights and resources.
Now, with his leadership skills in high demand, Varela is coming out of retirement and will be donating his time to APAGOLF pro bono. APAGOLF is committed to raising funds for the development and environmental conservation in the Gulf, and to becoming more involved with socio-environmental national and international policies.
