FEWER than 10 persons in the local tanning and leathercraft sector turned out yesterday to meet a team from the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP), but organizers pledged to continue to get all stakeholders on board the scheme to preserve mangroves on the Guyana coastline.

Leather and craft persons are considered an important group with which the GMRP team wants to collaborate since mangroves are cut down and the bark used for tanning leather.   

Despite the poor showing by the group, the general consensus was that the meeting was the first step in the right direction.

Others at the informal session at the Ministry of Agriculture in Georgetown were Director of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth; Mrs. Annette Arjoon-Martins, Chair of the Mangrove Action Committee (MAC) which was established under the GMRP; Community Development Specialist with the MAC, Mr. Paul McAdam; Mangrove Specialist attached to the GMRP, Mr. Owen Bovell and GMRP Coordinator, Mr. Bissasar Chintamanie. 

Bark tanning, also known as vegetable tanning, is an ancient method of creating durable, water repellent leather with a lot of body. It can be done to virtually any skin but it is generally reserved for tanning grain-on leathers from large thick hides such as cattle, horse, buffalo and pig. It has been commonly used for saddles, canteens, stiff shoes, belts, wallets, holsters, harnesses, helmets, pouches, trunks, shields and gun cases.

The NARI Director made it clear during the meeting that the leather industry is important and with increased emphasis being placed by the Agriculture Ministry on enhancing operations in the cattle industry, its importance will increase.

Homenauth also pledged NARI’s support for efforts to advance the interests of all stakeholders.

Mr. Richard Winter from the Guyana Arts and Craft Producers Association and working in the industry for some 30 years, said using the mangroves in a sustainable way is an effort that is fully supported.

He pointed out that there are other trees that can be used in the tanning process, but these are avenues that need to be explored more vigorously.

“If we don’t get the tanning done in time we lose hides,” he said. “These are losses we have to bear.”

Winter pointed to the mimosa tree which is used in the tanning industry. Mimosa is a perennial evergreen tree or shrub native to the northeastern region of Brazil.

He, however, argued that instead of supporting economic opportunities in Brazil the same can be done locally.

He said there is a tree people use in Aishalton (Region Nine – Upper Takutu/ Upper Essequibo) which helps to make good quality leather and called for this to be further explored.

Winter said Guyana has six fully active tanneries which have grown accustomed to using the bark from the mangrove trees, but are willing to explore new avenues.

“Some of them are using the mimosa bark, but the two people in Guyana that make mimosa available control the market. This is not good”, he said.

He added that the tanneries do not have the requisite technology being used in other countries, so this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

“We need to find new ways,” he posited.

Bovell said that with all the work being done feedback is essential.

“We need to hear from the stakeholders…in particular what the situation was in the past with harvesting of mangroves for tanning”, he said.

Bovell pointed out that the mangroves harvested are red mangroves which are found primarily along rivers and are not the main soft sea defence that Guyana’s coastline depends on.

In this regard, he said there is a draft code of practice being developed to guide the harvesting of mangroves.

“We need to finalize this document before we can say how much to cut. Cutting is not seen as a no-no something, but it must be done in the right way. The science must be in place to assist regeneration,” he said.

The mangrove specialist said focus also needs to be placed on the use of alternative tress to assist the tanning process.

Arjoon-Martins noted that the work of the GMRP team focuses on protecting and managing the existing mangrove forests and restoring them in areas where these have been destroyed.

She stressed the importance of the mangrove forests and noted that the primary benefit was natural, less expensive, sea defence.

Mangroves serve to shield inland areas during storms; trap sediments and break down pollutants, serve as a source of food for fish, shrimp and crabs that live in rivers and shallow areas of the sea/ocean; provide homes and nurseries for many animals, primarily fishes and provide a safe haven for juvenile fish, shrimp and crab on Guyana’s coastline.

The GMRP Coordinator reported that the project has seen some success with its efforts to date.

Chintamanie noted that, as it relates to restoration of mangrove forests, a total of 11 kilometers countrywide is expected to be replanted.

“We have experimental planting being done and communities are involved in procuring mangrove seedlings…by the end of July we will have planting started at Hope and Mon Repos, both on the East Coast of Demerara”, he said.