A failing wildlife conservation story – The white lie in the supposed green economy

Aug 31, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I would first like to apologise on behalf of the Ministry of Education who was in charge of our school’s curriculum while most of our Politicians (both past and present) were in school. Some critical elements were regrettably omitted. Pollination (the transfer of pollen from an anther (male part) of a plant to the stigma (female part) of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind), the most important element of the forest eco-system was not included in the Biology or Integrated Science classes.

The importance of producers (producers convert water, carbon dioxide, minerals, and sunlight into the organic molecules that are the foundation of all life on earth), consumers (animals that get their energy by eating plants or other animals) and decomposers (any of various organisms such as many bacteria and fungi that return constituents of organic substances to ecological cycles) were also excluded.

And finally, seed dispersal (the mechanism by which plant seeds are transported to new sites for germination and the establishment of new individuals by animals is a key interaction, with effects on the population ecology and evolution of many plant lineages) and scarification (Scarification in botany involves weakening, opening, or otherwise altering the coat of a seed to encourage germination) by animals were also not taught during that era. I trust that the definitions provided are sufficient for the basic understanding of these phenomenon (is something that is observed to occur or to exist- bonus definition).

If these were taught, they would have been included in the thought process and we would have been leaps and bounds ahead in wildlife conservation. We are currently beggars, depending on any and every grant possible to put systems in place for the management and conservation of our wild species of flora and fauna. These species, given the right management system, can be quite self-sufficient.

Soon, Guyana will witness the rapid decline of our species of flora and fauna and with it, funds from the Norway agreement and many other potential and current sources that are not based on begging, but the merit and pure value of these species.

If fauna is not given attention, flora will fail and vice versa, it cannot be made any simpler than this.

“Budget preparation season” is upon us and I have a few questions:  Will the zoological park, situated obliquely opposite the office of the Champion of the Earth continue to be an utter mess and be managed on less than 10,000GYD per day to feed and care for dozens of animals?

This is the institution where we are supposed to learn about these species to be better able to manage and protect them in the wild and to provide care for those that become victims of human wildlife conflicts due to the many activities we approve to be conducted in our forest daily.

Will the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) have a Management board after two years of a new administration? We boast of our many Reserves and Protected Areas and the agency with the mandate to manage and protect these areas are being shoved aside and ignored. Will they eventually get more attention from the Government as opposed to those of conservationist both local and foreign and often with their own agenda?

Will the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) be given the capital and resources needed to manage and conserve wildlife within the 214,969 km2, or the same ridiculous pittance they receive year after year?

This management and conservation does not only refer to the domestic and international trade that should be allowed to avoid the woes of the black market due to a ban, but also the protection of endangered species when humans invade their territory for numerous unavoidable reasons.

When compared to the efforts of our neighbour Brazil, it is atrocious, and this is an understatement.

Will the security team at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport be investigated and/or removed to ensure that song/whistling birds (towa towa) smuggling can cease?

Will there be a new strategic self-sufficient plan for the Guyana Forestry Commission and the removal or renewal of stagnant minds in the management level of the Commission and those of concession holders who utilise backward management systems? Late salaries can be a thing of the past.

Will the Environmental Protection Agency continue to be a toothless dog where biodiversity and its sacredness is concerned?

Why is the GWCMC, EPA and the PAC under the Office of the President with a Minister who clearly does not have enough time to effectively manage these three agencies? If we have a Ministry of *NATURAL RESOURCES*, should not that Ministry manage natural resources? The management of natural resources in isolation has been and will always be a recipe for disaster.

In a country this rich with natural resources, conservation should not be a struggle!

I wish to encourage the Government of this my beloved beautiful Guyana to do better, much better with budget allocations for 2023. I wish agencies can be confident with their allocations in achieving their mission and subsequently their vision. The time is ripe for the days of begging for conservation efforts to be over. Grant the capital needed to build robust self-sufficient systems for today and the future.

We have announced historical record-breaking numbers for budget allocations recently in many sectors and for this I applaud the Government but how much longer must we wait before we announce record breaking numbers to protect our flora and fauna who are solely responsible for this clean air that we currently breathe?

Regards,

Deeply Concerned Citizen

P.S. Thinking outside the box is cliché, let’s think without it.

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