Mexican company Fauna Silvestre, through McNeal Enterprises, paid a government levy of at least $13,328,000, plus an export licence fee of $20,000, for the controversial export of dolphins earlier this year.
But owner of McNeal Enterprises, Presidential Adviser on Empowerment, Odinga Lumumba, stated that he never visited the offices of the Wildlife Division to make any payments.
His contention is that he only facilitated the transaction on behalf of the Mexican businessmen who were in Guyana at the time. He said the transaction with the dolphins had the approval of the Scientific Authority established by the Wildlife Division.
The dolphin export and other matters led to the sacking of the head of the Wildlife Division, Khalawan (one name only). The board of the wildlife body says it only found out about the export of dolphins after they had been sent.
Observers have questioned the propriety of a foreign party's name being on the receipt from the Office of the President for the payment of an export licence fee and the government levy. And when asked of the propriety of Fauna Silvestre expediting the dolphin exports from Guyana, Lumumba said it is not unusual for foreigners to export from the country and cited logging companies that do just that.
Nothing in the Species Protection Regulations (1999) of the Environmental Protec-tion Act of 1996 precludes foreigners from obtaining a licence or permit to export wildlife, once they satisfy the criteria that the regulations set out.
This newspaper had reported that Lumumba was not listed as an exporter of wildlife and as such should not have been allowed to ship dolphins. But according to the regulations, a person could fulfil certain conditions and become licensed.
The regulations state too that the fee for the export permit is $20,000. But the receipt in the name of McNeal Enterprise/Fauna Silvestre that the Wildlife Unit issued, states that an export licence - not permit - fee was paid on February 17. The receipt states a payment of $13,228,000 in levy for the dolphins and an export licence fee of $20,000. Stabroek News understands that this might only be part of the levy paid for a total 20 dolphins, of which 11 were sent out. A 20% levy has to be paid to the state for wildlife exports.
In February, Khalawan had told Stabroek News that individuals planning to export dolphins would need experts with knowledge of caring and holding the creatures. He had said that there would be no set quota, but a determination would have been made based on the facilities of the export-er. Though these requirements were not met the dolphins were nonetheless exported.
Lumumba told Stabroek News that the arrangement was "not just about catching some dolphins" but that it was much wider, including scholarships being offered to Guyanese to receive training in dolphin care and managing a Seaworld-like facility.
Former wildlife official Dr Karen Pilgrim said before shipments of dolphins could be made to Mexico, one needed to know from the Scientific Authority in Mexico if there are provisions to ensure that all the holding arrangements are in place. She said in the past, persons were written to requesting confirmation on whether they owned a zoo, but they did not reply. She also raised doubts about whether the persons from Mexico came to Guyana for dolphins, adding that they could have harvested the mammals from their country.
She posed the question as to whether the dolphins were held in quarantine for four weeks, as stipulated by the regulations.
Another source said that for a person to be licensed he would have had to be experienced in handling wildlife and would have had to attend training sessions for trapping. The persons would need a holding station approved for the humane treatment of animals.
According to the Species Protection Regulations, made under the Environmental Pro-tection Act of 1996, licences have to be approved for trapping and holding stations, in addition to the exporting licence. The source said each species is given a trade value and noted that the value for the dolphin was never renewed. But he said the values are not set in stone.
According to the source, he has heard complaints of high mortality among dolphins during the trapping process and of the plight of trappers who are not properly paid.
The former official said the EPA at one stage was trying to set up a monitoring body to check on the issue of persons not being paid after they trap animals for exporters.
The Office of the Auditor-General had said that it would investigate the Wildlife Division and was in the process of doing background checks. But when contacted last week, acting Auditor-General Balraj Balram said he did not wish to comment.
Dr Luncheon stated last week Wednesday that the Board of the Wildlife Autho-rity makes the final decision in all cases and passes this down to the Unit. Luncheon had sent a letter to Kellawan Lall, Secretary of the Wildlife Board, making suggestions on how a one-off shipment of dolphins could be handled. That letter had been copied to Khalawan, who used it as his grounds for authorising the shipment of dolphins. Khalawan was fired over the shipments and other exports it is alleged he did not report to the Board. Luncheon has stated it was Khalawan who told him of the plans to ship the dolphins and that he was asked to provide an input and he did. Luncheon said his involvement with the wildlife trade is merely to act on the President's behalf. He confirmed that he knew Lumumba's company was involved in the intended transaction when he wrote the letter explaining the possible scenarios.
Khalawan says Luncheon was far more involved in the matter and had directed the exports.
The internal probe into the wildlife improprieties that the Board of the Guyana Wildlife Management Authority has launched is ongoing, said Chairman, Dr Keshav Mangal last week.