Kaieteur National Park threatened with pollution from illegal mining

May 30, 2017 News

On Sunday last, an operation was launched at the Kaieteur National Park by members of the joint services and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) following a discovery by the Protected Areas Commission (PAC)

An aerial view of the mining camps in the Kaieteur National Park

earlier this year of four active mines, one mine where activity was uncertain, and eight active camps inside the Park.
This was a follow-up activity from a reconnaissance which was conducted by the Guyana Defence Force on May 5, 2017 at the Park which revealed 20 illegal mining camps in the area. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, at one camp there was evidence of water pollution and freshly exposed sand tailings, according to a report from the PAC.
In a press statement from the Ministry yesterday, it was said that of the five mines, there had already been issued cease orders by the GGMC in 2014 with reinforcement actions as recent as 2016. However, despite these measures, at least two of the three mines remained active.
Commissioner of the PAC, Denise Fraser was quoted as saying that illegal mining in the area has been taking place for a number of years despite repeated warnings.
The statement said that during Sunday’s raid, five camps were searched and the persons found were detained while the dredge owners were nowhere to be found. A total of 21 persons have been held by the Guyana Police Force in connection with illegal mining in the area, the Ministry said.
Fraser said that the PAC has maintained contact with the Natural Resources Ministry as well as the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs to ensure that those detained are taken care of while in custody.
According to Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman the Kaieteur National Park is a national protected area and it is incumbent on the government to send a strong message to those who want to break the law. He said that only last year the authorities had cause to remove six operators from the area.
“Last year, we sent a team in and it was during that exercise that we even lost a member of the Guyana Police Force after the boat he was travelling in capsized, and yet we have persons returning to the Park and mining. The Government must, therefore, send a strong message to the individuals because it is a national protected area and part of our national patrimony.”
Moreover, Director of the Department of Environment, Ms Ndibi Schwiers said that the Park is Guyana’s oldest protected area, famed for the world-renowned Kaieteur Falls and its rich bio-diversity.
She said that as a result of illegal mining there is indiscriminate cutting of trees which causes the loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation for the wildlife that live in the area.
“Specifically, birds and other wildlife that depend on the trees for their food, shelter and other forms of survival perish. Illegal mining in the Kaieteur National Park also presents a plethora of problems for downstream communities that depend on the water for drinking and other purposes through pollution of the water and unregulated use of chemicals to extract minerals.”
According to the Ministry, Section 4 of the Kaieteur National Park Act states that, “It shall not be lawful for any person to enter into, travel or encamp within the park or to build any structure therein, or to hunt, chase, catch, shoot at, kill or otherwise disturb any animal or cut, pluck or gather any of the flora or interfere with or disturb the soil by mining or other operations within the park or to remove anything whatsoever from the park except in accordance with regulations made under this act. (2) Any person acting in contravention of any of the provisions of subsection (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of ninety-seven thousand five hundred dollars, and anything taken by such person from the park shall be forfeited.”
Further, the 2005 Mining Act was also quoted, whereby it states that no person shall conduct mining and quarrying activities in the specified nature reserves and parks where resource extraction is prohibited, in buffer areas without express approval of the Commission and the notification of parties likely to be affected by the activity.

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