THE effort to manage, protect and restore Guyana’s mangrove forests continues; and a total of 10,000 mangrove seedlings are expected to be planted in the next two weeks at the Mon Repos foreshore, East Coast Demerara.
The planting started Saturday in another step towards meeting the planting target of 11 kilometers across Guyana by 2012.
The Agriculture Ministry’s Drainage and Irrigation (D&I) workers, assisted by other volunteers periodically, have undertaken the planting.
The workers, in short pants, made their way to the mud banks and are soon up to their knees in mud, as they plant the mangrove seedlings.
They start planting from around 05:00h and work until mid-morning.
The Regional Coordinator of D&I in Region Four, Mr. Tullaram Jairam, observed that the workers involved in the planting at Hope Beach also recognize the importance of the job they are doing.
The first phase of the planting ended last week at the Hope Beach, East Coast Demerara, where 10,350 seedlings were planted, and stakeholders agreed that efforts under the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) are progressing favourably.
The GMRP is a $100M, government funded initiative, and under the National Mangrove Action Plan 2010 – 2012, the objectives are: to promote sustainable management of mangrove forest; develop effective protection of mangrove ecosystem and rehabilitation; increase public awareness and education on the benefits of the mangrove forests; establish and complete a legal framework for mangrove ecosystem management and encourage community-based mangrove management; and establish the administrative capacity for the management of mangroves in Guyana.
The project is managed by the Mangrove Action Committee (MAC), established under the GMRP, within the Climate Change and Agricultural Adaptation Unit of the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI).
In an invited comment GMRP Coordinator, Mr. Bissasar Chintamanie, said the next sites identified for planting are La Belle Alliance and Lima, Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and Number Six Beach, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice).
In a recent interview, the Office of Climate Change (OCC) Head, Mr. Shyam Nokta, said the MAC and NARI has the support of the OCC.
“This is an effort that all stakeholders should support,” he said.
Nokta added that the work that has been completed to date is commendable and that the impact of these efforts will echo long after the plan is completed.
He observed that the need to protect mangroves is critical since they are an essential component of the national sea defence, assist with abating climate change and are an important eco-system.

CHALLENGES

A primary challenge that persists is that of garbage in the mangrove forests and communities are encouraged to desist from dumping garbage in these.
At present, under the Sea Defence Act of 1998, destruction of mangrove forests carries a fine of $12,000 and a sentence of 12 months imprisonment.
The amended Forestry Act of 2010 also provides for penalties in the event of mangrove destruction.
Mangroves are essentially forests that are found on the seacoast and riverside that can grow in areas of high salinity and tidal flooding.