45 and services it provided. Ms. Silvi Adjako, for instance, declared that the logging companies “caused much destruction in our forest and made parts of our land useless because they blocked the creeks and made the water sit on the earth. Before then we were able to use the forest freely and quietly, and it was a great comfort to us and supported us.”159 This statement is also supported by the declaration of Mr. Hugo Jabini, who added that these companies “left a totally ruined forest where they worked. Big parts of the forest cannot be used anymore for farming, and animals will stay away from these areas as well. The creeks are all blocked and the area is flooded and turning into a swamp. It is useless and the spirits are greatly offended”.160 151. The observations of the Saramaka witnesses are corroborated by the research of expert witnesses Dr. Robert Goodland and Dr. Peter Poole, both of whom visited the concessions and surrounding areas between 2002 and 2007.161 In general, Dr. Goodland stated that “the social, environmental and other impacts of the logging concessions are severe and traumatic”,162 and that the “[l]ogging was carried out below minimum acceptable standards for logging operations.”163 Dr. Goodland characterized it as “among the worst planned, most damaging and wasteful logging possible.”164 Dr. Poole added that it was “immediately apparent to [him] that the logging operations in these concessions were not done to any acceptable or even minimum specifications, and sustainable management was not a factor in decision-making.”165 152. Dr. Goodland and Dr. Poole both testified that the logging companies built substandard bridges in their concessions and that these bridges unnecessarily blocked numerous creeks.166 Because these creeks are the primary source of potable water used by members of the Saramaka people, “water necessary for drinking, cooking, washing, irrigation, watering gardens, and catching fish is not available. [Furthermore,] subsistence farms become less productive or so unproductive that they have to be abandoned.”167 According to Dr. Goodland, these large areas of standing water render the forest incapable of producing traditional Saramaka agricultural crops.168 Dr. Poole reached the same conclusions.169 F.1.c) Benefit-sharing 153. Not only have the members of the Saramaka people been left with a legacy of environmental destruction, despoiled subsistence resources, and spiritual and social problems, but they received no benefit from the logging in their territory. Government statistics submitted into evidence before the Court prove that a considerable quantity of valuable timber was extracted from the territory of the Saramaka people without any compensation.170 159 Affidavit of Silvi Adjako, supra note 98, (folio 1924). Affidavit of S. Hugo Jabini, supra note 158 (folio 1938). 161 Cf. Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland of April 27, 2007 (case file of affidavits and observations, appendix 3, folios 1887-1894), and Affidavit of Dr. Peter Poole, supra note 69 (folios 1964-65). 162 Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland, supra note 161 (folio 1888). 163 Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland, supra note 161 (folio 1892). 164 Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland, supra note 161 (folio 1892). 165 Affidavit of Dr. Peter Poole, supra note 69 (folio 1964). 166 Cf. Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland, supra note 161 (folios 1890-1891), and Affidavit of Dr. Peter Poole, supra note 69 (folios 1964-1965). 167 Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland, supra note 161 (folios 1891). 168 Cf. Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland, supra note 161 (folios 1890-1891). 169 Cf. Affidavit of Dr. Peter Poole, supra note 69 (folio 1964). 170 Cf. Affidavit of Dr. Robert Goodland, supra note 161 (folio 1894) (citing Suriname Forest Management Foundation, Forest Statistics from 1999 to 2005), and Overview of logging concessions in the Pokigron Region. 160