As part of a recently concluded cooperation agreement between the
governments of Guatemala and Holland, the IOM office in Guatemala
has signed contracts with two Dutch firms to supervise the building
of the Champerico Fishing Port on Guatemala's Pacific Coast.

The 18-month project is scheduled to get underway in
mid-October. The construction of the port will be carried out by
Van Oord Dredging Marine Contractores BV, with a total budget of
nearly 26.5 million Euros financed by the Government of Guatemala
(68 per cent) and a donation from the Royal Dutch Government (32
per cent).

The construction will be supervised by Haskoning International
BV, at a cost of 1.35 million Euros, also co-financed by the
governments of Guatemala (56 per cent) and Holland (44 per
cent).  IOM will manage the funds provided by the government
of Guatemala. 

The population of Champerico, a municipality of some 30,000
residents on Guatemala's Pacific Coast, depend on fishing,
agriculture and tourism to earn their living.  The area has
experienced large migration flows with an estimated 5 per cent of
the population living abroad, the vast majority in the United
States.

According to IOM's latest remittance survey, a third of the
municipality's population receives remittances from relatives
living abroad.  IOM estimates that the residents of Champerico
will receive nearly US$2 million in remittances in 2007.

Currently, Champerico has a small fishing port used by
small-scale fishermen, but the wooden structure is unstable and too
small for larger-scale fishing.

Once completed, the new port will serve the small fishing
vessels as well as industrial fishing boats, and provide an on-site
fish processing facility.  The port is expected to develop the
economy of the area, not only in the fishing industry but by
attracting other businesses to the area. 

For more information, please contact:

Gunther Müssig

IOM Guatemala

Tel: +502 23 62 83 67

E-mail:  "mailto:gmussig@iom.int">gmussig@iom.int