Opposition Leader Dr Bharat Jagdeo has called on the Government to enable the re-opening of the wildlife trade, but do so in a manner that is renewable and sustainable.
Articulating that there has been no notice or announcement of the re-opening of this commercial activity, even though several months have passed since the The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016 was assented to by the President, Jagdeo further remarked that “this inaction has negatively affected the livelihood of exporters, trappers, many Amerindians in Guyana’s hinterland regions and others engaged in this business.”
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016 was assented to by President David Granger on October 5, 2016. This Act envisages the incorporation of the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission and demands the establishment of the Wildlife Scientific Committee.
According to Jagdeo in a statement from his office, the “Act was intended to satisfy international conventions pertaining to the import and export of wildlife and provide a regulatory framework to bring Guyana into compliance with international standards and best practices; not to bring the trade to a precipitous halt.”
The Opposition Leader says that government should act expeditiously to facilitate resumption of the wildlife trade, while concurrently synchronizing the creation of an environment of a smooth and efficient wildlife conservation and management framework, with the capacity for adequate enforcement.
