WWF includes Guyana in global conservation campaign
THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Marine Turtle Conservation Project have received initial disbursements from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to support their programmes. The cheques were handed over Thursday to representatives of the beneficiaries at a ceremony attended also by top Government functionaries, including Prime Minister Sam Hinds, in Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown. Project Coordinator of the Shell Beach Programme, Ms Annette Arjoon collected G$2.6M of G$5M allocated to her operations and EPA's Ms Denise Fraser got G$5M of the G$21M earmarked for that entity, all funding from WWF's Guayana Forests and Environmental Conservation Project (GFECP). One of the grant agreements signed by the parties after the handing over is for the development of management plans for selected wildlife species to protect the biological diversity of Guyana, in particular and the Guianas, generally. The other pact is for supporting the protection of the marine turtle populations nesting on the beaches of the Guianas, especially on the North West coast of Guyana. Together, the two are expected to contribute to the fulfilling of objectives of this country's National Environment Action Plan (NEAP). Arjoon said, unlike in Suriname and French Guiana, marine turtles are scarce and seriously depleted in numbers here because people are taking the nesting females and their eggs and incidental capture is on the increase. She explained that turtles are killed for their meat when they settle to nest or they may fall in the path of shrimp trawlers and drown before the catch is retrieved. They could also be drowned in the mile long gill nets set directly in front of the nesting beaches. Another problem is that their nesting beaches shift as tide currents, mudflats and shell bars move to places that are dangerous to access. Arjoon said the objective of her project is to ensure the continued existence and population recovery of all the four species of marine turtles known to nest in Guyana. This will be achieved through monitoring of the nesting beaches and by sensitising relevant stakeholder groups such as the inhabitants of their habitat and fishermen. Project activities will include the construction of a secondary camp at Kamwatta beach to facilitate surveillance of in this new nesting area. The camp there would have permanent accommodation for turtle wardens to better monitor. Arjoon said a boat and engine will be procured to facilitate movement and patrols between Kamwatta beach and the base at Almond beach. Among other things, the craft will help the Shell Beach Project oversee what is happening around nesting places, by patrolling and deterring turtle hunters and poachers. Turtles will be tagged and those trapped in mangroves would be rescued while nests threatened by poachers or nature will be relocated. A hatchery is to be developed for the doomed nests and assisting hatchlings, Arjoon said, noting that marine turtles are an integral part of the ecosystem of the Guiana coasts. They are an international resource and individual turtles cross national boundaries and economic zones frequently in the course of migration. "Such migratory species and populations cannot be conserved effectively if even a single range State fails to participate in an integrated conservation effort," Arjoon said. She said her scheme would build on previously undertaken initiatives in marine turtle conservation locally. Speaking for EPA, Fraser said many species are facing pressure from the wildlife trade and increased consumption of different meats. She agreed there is need to develop a sound management plan for wildlife but said one hurdle is the lack of concrete data with which to work. The monetary allocation will make a start in addressing that obstacle, Fraser said. She outlined proposals to develop a management strategy, complete an inventory on the species and create a scientific foundation for managing wildlife trade with a developed priority list. Presidential Adviser on the Environment, Mr Navin Chandarpal, who also witnessed the ceremony, said the contracts were signed on the heels of the adoption of the National Bio-diversity Plan. He acknowledged that the WWF infusion was needed to fill a gap for undertaking the studies related to wildlife existence and improve the ability of relevant bodies to make decisions about the way in which the targeted creatures are utilised. Chandarpal admitted that people are going into areas under the pretext of relaxation but take freezers with them for clearly commercial ventures. He said regulations to curb such hunting would be reviewed. Fisheries, Crops and Livestock Minister, Mr Satyadeow Sawh said Government recognises and knows it is important that steps be taken to bolster conservative management of fauna resources. He concurred that wildlife is a significant source of income to Guyanese and, therefore, of necessity, baseline data on it must be obtained. Sawh said the information will be utilised in a comprehensive scheme for managing the sub-sector. He observed that the marine turtles make Guyana unique and the Fisheries Department, realising they are endangered, is meeting with local fishermen to discourage them from fishing in specified zones during turtle nesting seasons. But Sawh hinted that his Ministry might have to think about compensating fishermen for adhering to the guidelines in particular parts. Prime Minister Hinds endorsed the view that control measures are necessary because Guyana's wildlife is much more accessible now. Director of WWF/GFECP, Mr Michelet Fontaine said the projects will cater for exchanges and collaboration with Suriname. A WWF/GFECP document said the forest ecosystems of the Guayanas are geologically ancient, biologically rich and diverse. Situated in the northeastern part of South America, they cross the borders of Suriname and the French Caribbean territories. Together with similar forests in Brazil, Venezuela and, to a lesser extent, Colombia, the expanse forms the centre of the Guayana Forest Ecoregion, which has gained recognition internationally for its conservation importance and included in the WWF global campaign to conserve critical ecoregions worldwide. The region faces a series of critical development environmental issues which must be resolved if the countries within are to attain their goals for sustainable development, the documentation said. With the deteriorating economic situation in most of these places, inappropriate resource use is becoming a serious threat to long term conservation. WWF has supported conservation in the Guayanas since the mid-1960s, with funds for sea turtle protection, anti-poaching measures for hunting species, biological surveys, educational materials, publications, technical assistance and capacity building of native institutions. In 1998, WWF launched GFECP which is a four-year conservation initiative primarily targeting the forest ecosystems of the Guayanas. The GFECP is carried out through the collaboration of WWF-Netherlands, WWF-United States and WWF-France. It seeks to promote partnerships among national communities, private and public sector institutions, international non-governmental organisations and funding agencies to secure nature conservation and sustainable usage of the region's natural resources.
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