Consultations held in Guyana aimed at sustaining wildlife

With the aim of sustaining Guyana’s wildlife resources and to curb hunting activities, the Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission held a one-day consultation with stakeholders to highlight regulations within the industry.
This comes 14 months after the passage of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act and issues surrounding the hunting and illegal exportation of birds and other exotic and endangered animals, which still plague the wildlife sector in Guyana.

The consultation exercise at the Everest Cricket Club sought to examine regulations on hunting, trapping, protection, conservation, management and the sustainable use of wildlife. Director of the Department of Environment, Ndibi Schwiers told stakeholders that the consultations were not only geared at observing the stipulations of the Wildlife Act but that it would ensure the people benefit from the preservation of wildlife resources.
“With the onset of climate change and more human activities in wildlife areas, these consultations are not only necessary but represent a critical step in the process for all stakeholders to take action to ensure the sustainability of these resources in light of their broader contribution to the wellbeing of the of not only the country but its people,” Schwiers outlined.
The wildlife Act provides for the establishment of a Wildlife Import and Export Authority, which will be tasked with the management of the international trade of wildlife in Guyana. Minister of State Joseph Harmon while observing the merits of the President’s green state agenda, told stakeholders that the country’s natural resources should provide the greatest economic, social and environmental benefits to citizens, noting that international obligations must be observed.
“Full consideration must also be given to the fulfilment of the requirements of our obligations as a party to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, legal consultant Teni Housty facilitated presentations on legal framework that govern the Wildlife Act while there were presentations by the Wildlife Scientific Committee.
Wildlife trafficking is a criminal enterprise that reaps profits in the billions of dollars and is widely known to cause challenges in security and also cause instability in a country’s economy. There are regulations for penalties for harvesting prohibited species of wildlife, exporting, re-exporting or importing wildlife without permits and the use of prohibited devices and methods to hunt wildlife.