Oostpunt

Plantation Klein Sint Joris (also San Juan) was founded in 1662 by Matthias Beck and is one of the oldest plantations on Curaçao.[7] Around 1840, Oostpunt was inhabited by 150 to 200 people, most of whom were slaves.[5] The Maal family, army officers from the Netherlands, arrived in Curaçao in the late 18th century[8] and had acquired five plantations by the 1870s. The plantations were used for agriculture, livestock, and mining,[4] however, the vast majority of land is pristine wilderness.[2][8] The coral reefs in Oostpunt are considered one of the best preserved reefs of the Caribbean.[9][10][11]

The village of Oostpunt is only inhabited by Willy Maal and his mother.[12] Sint Joris consists of a collection of houses across Landhuis Klein Sint Joris, and is mainly inhabited by locals who have been born there. Santa Catharina is a recent addition which started to develop in the 1960s, and has attracted many Dutch citizens.[13] There are paved roads to Sint Joris and Santa Catharina. As of 2011, the remainder of Oostpunt can only be accessed via unpaved paths with large holes.[14]

In 1987, the Government of Curaçao approached the Maal family to develop a conservation plan, and discuss the proposed development of a tourist resort in Oostpunt. In 1993, an area of 4,400 hectares (11,000 acres) was unilaterally declared a national park in which no development was possible.[4] Along the coast, the Curaçao Marine Park was announced to protect the coral reef.[15] The Maal family responded by suing the government for ƒ100 million (~US$56 million) for breach of contract.[16] A long legal battle followed, and the resort was built in the Bahamas instead.[4] On 7 June 1999, the Government of Curaçao was ordered to allow development in 50 percent of the area, and pay the Maal family ƒ20 million plus interest in damages.[17]

In 2010, the development plans of the Maal family were approved by the States of Curaçao.[18][4] The battle is not over, because CARMABI, the national institute for protected areas, wants to prevent any development,[19] and is backed by the International Coral Reef Society, National Geographic, NOAA, and others.[9] In April 2016, an attempt was made to stop the development plans using an outdated map[20] which resulted in a threat from the Maal family to resume litigation.[16] In December 2016, the development plans were once again approved by the States.[21]

• "Buurtprofiel Oostpunt" (PDF). Government of Curaçao (in Dutch). 2011.

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