The wild life trade exploits its Amerindian employees

Jul 13, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Because most of the wildlife exported to other countries comes from Amerindian territories, I think consultation should have been done at a community level before the reopening of the wild life trade. Not all Amerindians welcome this move as the state media seems to imply. I would agree that the trade generates much needed cash in the communities but the negatives outweigh the positives.
Wildlife catchers risk their lives to meet quotas for middlemen who grossly underpay them and in many cases abandon them when they are injured or bitten by snakes. Most communities do not receive royalties for wildlife caught because there is no system in place to monitor this. At the end of the day, Amerindians have nothing to show for partaking in the wildlife trade.
A more long term approach should be taken by Amerindians with regard to the use of wildlife as a resource. It would be more rewarding if wildlife reserves and game parks along with seasonal hunting and fishing are pursued by communities as a means of generating income rather than contributing to the extinction of wild animals.
Patrick Fitzpatrick

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