Cabinet Secretary quizzed on Jacksonville zoo deal
Kaieteur News
July 22, 2004
An agreement between the Government of Guyana and Jacksonville zoo in the U.S. some two years ago, for the loan of giant otters and Harpy Eagles to the zoo may have been shrouded in secrecy.
But yesterday, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon denied that there was a secret deal. He said that the information was always in the open.
He said that he might not have raised it during his weekly press conferences but the information could have been had from any of the parties involved in the arrangement with the Zoo.
“It was an initiative by the Iwokrama Rainforest outfit since it provided an opportunity to support Iwokrama during a difficult period.”
He added that the Jacksonville zoo initiative cannot be discussed in abstraction and it is clearly linked in various ways with the Iwokrama project.
Dr. Luncheon said that the scientific and management authority was fully involved in the arrangement and it flowed from Iwokrama through the Wildlife Management Unit to the Cabinet sub-committee before it was endorsed. He admitted to signing the document on behalf of the Guyana government.
But Kaieteur News was informed that such an agreement should have been signed by a scientific officer and not by Dr. Luncheon.
When contacted the Iwokrama Rainforest Centre stated that the Director General, Mr. Graham Watkins promised that upon his return from overseas business, he would explain the arrangement entered into with Jacksonville zoo.
The centre was unable to provide this newspaper with a copy of the agreement but referred it to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Rudy Insanally, who is a trustee of the Iwokrama centre.
Legal officer at the Ministry, Mr. Harry Singh, said that he is not aware of such an agreement and efforts will have to be made to check the archives for such correspondence.
Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants.
These are threatened with extinction and CITES generally prohibits commercial international trade in specimens of these species.
According to CITES, trade may be allowed under exceptional circumstances, e.g. for scientific research.
However the export of Harpy Eagles, which are endangered species and not intended for scientific research, is in clear breach of this regulation.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Secretary responded to what appeared to be another breach in the CITES regulations of 1999.
The regulation provides for an annual report on wildlife resources and management to be tabled in Parliament by the Wildlife Authority.
Dr. Luncheon said that as far as he is aware no such report has ever been submitted to the National Assembly.
The Cabinet Secretary just a week ago was fingered in the unauthorized exportation of Dolphins, after Head of the Wildlife Management Authority, Khalawan, was fired for his alleged involvement.
The Wildlife Management Board of Directors, following an investigation, found Khalawan guilty of unauthorized wildlife exports.
The sacked Head has since threatened to sue the Management Authority and Dr. Luncheon for what he believes to be the wrongful termination of his services.