Managing of our wildlife

All over the world, especially in countries with a huge wildlife population, the call is being made for the authorities to take more proactive steps in halting the illegal trade in wildlife, and to manage wildlife in a more sustainable manner.

Some time ago, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) had called for a ban on wildlife trade and commercial hunting in Guyana, in order to preserve the country’s biodiversity.

The experts have said, time and again, that the animals and plants that live in the wild have an intrinsic value, and contribute to the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of human well-being and sustainable development. It is therefore to our benefit when systems are put in place to protect our wildlife population.

Some countries are way advanced in terms of legislative mechanisms to protect all forms of wildlife, while other countries are now in the developmental stages of such legislation. In Guyana’s case, in an effort to strengthen the regulation and management of the international wildlife trade, regulations were put in place to make provisions for, among other things, penalising the harvesting of prohibited species of wildlife; exporting, reexporting or importing wildlife without permits; and the use of prohibited devices and methods to hunt wildlife.

Over the years, several persons were charged and successfully prosecuted before the courts for attempting to smuggle birds and other small animals out of Guyana through our airports, to be sold abroad. However, there are still some challenges in relation to the implementation of the legislation, as the practice still continues, with some of the culprits even passing through our ports here undetected, only to be caught at their final destination.

It could also be recalled that, some time ago, there were reports in the media of the killing of a jaguar. A photo of the dead jaguar began circulating on social media, and it sparked debate about the need to protect this endangered species of animal. From all indications, based on the social media post, the animal was killed during a hunting trip. This is illegal, as the jaguar is known as Guyana’s national animal, and is protected by the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016. According to the legislation, collecting, holding in captivity, hunting, killing, or otherwise molesting ‘protected’ species is prohibited.

The jaguar is the third-largest feline in the world, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Globally, jaguar populations are on the decline, mainly due to the loss of habitat and conflict with people. As a result, these animals are listed as a ‘near threatened’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

At the moment, there seems to be a lack of awareness by citizens here on the need to protect our wildlife population. Hence, there is need for more sensitisation sessions for miners and for residents of communities, especially where persons are more likely to come into contact with wild animals. The public must also be sensitised about the legislation governing the protection of wildlife in Guyana; for example, the hefty fines and possible jail time that one could face if one is found guilty of breaking the law.

The Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) had begun working on developing a 10-year strategic plan as it relates to hunting, trapping, trade, protection, conservation, management and sustainable use of wildlife. This is indeed a step in the right direction, but in addition to this, as alluded to earlier, there is need for more stringent efforts by the authorities to ensure that such policies are effectively and efficiently implemented.

Dear Editor,

I am disappointed, shocked and appalled at the level of Opposition politics taking place in our country at present and in the lead-up to local government polls, to be held on June 12, 2023.

Firstly, the type of language and political rhetoric used at public meetings and rallies of the combined Opposition is increasingly inciting division and segregation among our people. It is publicly racist and demeaning.

I feel opposition politicians are not demonstrating the kind of responsible rhetoric that the public has come to expect from a leader who has an interest in becoming either the President or Minister in the future.

I condemn all the parties and groups that support either partially or wholly this level of politics or political rhetoric. I draw attention to the silence of the Guyana Human Rights Association, civil society, non-governmental groups, and independent commentors.

Every Guyanese who facilitates the political campaign being waged by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and the

Working Peoples Alliance party (WPA) is guilty of supporting more divisiveness and a disunited Guyana. They are supporting a Guyana in which the Opposition statements can go unchecked, unfiltered, and down a path of being unhinged.

Secondly, this is sad and unfortunate that leaders of combined Opposition do not research or know the subject of the topics they are speaking about at the meetings and rallies, leading to a vast and troubling amount of misinformation, disinformation, misleading statements and political lies being levelled against the Government of the day and individual members of the Government.

They slander and libel the members of the Peoples Progressive Party daily, without exception, and then abuse the privilege under the Parliament or politics, and the freedom of speech to shield themselves. I think the freedom of speech does not empower these Opposition politicians to tell blatant lies or different versions of the truth because they suit them politically.

Thirdly, I do not, nor will I ever, support the racial incitement of violence against the different eth - nic groups seemingly by the combined Opposition. I stand against political violence because there is simply no justification for it in Guyana in the year 2023.

I reject the WPA, David Hinds, Tacuma Ogunseye and Rickford Burke for seeking to allegedly stir up conflict and the pot of ethnic hostility and racism in our society in order to win votes. These are dangerous men, but I know Guyanese will not follow, act, or listen to the things they are saying on their public social media platforms.

I support the military, joint services and the Guyana Police Force, which will act professionally at all times, regardless of the temptation to be political from either side of the political divide.

I support the law and legality, and hereby believe that the authorities should not turn a blind eye to political heresy, political and racial incitement of PNC/R, APNU, WPA and any other social media personality in the leadup to the local government polls.

This common, puerile and reprehensible type of politics must end in modern Guyana.

Finally, it is either you have the facts, or shut up!

The Opposition is sounding very stupid whenever they make these allegations of discrimination and racism but cannot point to some specific cases. They must be challenged, because it is Guyana’s image regionally and internationally that they slander, not the PPP alone, as they seemingly intend.

The Leader of the Opposition should use some of the money or Opposition resources they have to commission a factual and analytical analysis of discrimination, racism, and all other allegations he makes against the PPP Government. Again, this is baby politics and politics 100 being practised in our society. Where are the issues, plans and policies that Opposition politicians will present to make local government work efficiently and effectively for the people?

Now is not the time for small-minded politicians, divisiveness, or racial politics, but the time for building Guyana, so the reality of ‘One Guyana’ can continue to be fashioned from an idea into a functioning reality.

Yours truly, Michael

Younge