– Hinds outlines implications for mining
THE National Assembly yesterday passed the Protected Areas Bill as Prime Minister Sam Hinds assured that miners’ concerns about what the legislation may mean for their industry and livelihoods have been considered and that some mining will be allowed. Speaking in support of the passage of the Bill, Prime Minister Hinds said, “Miners should find some assurance with regard to mining properties which they already have in Clause 30 [of the Bill].”

He said that in the “statistically unlikely event” that area miners now hold is included in a proposed protected area, Clause 30 affirms respect for existing rights.

This Clause says the Minister could carry out an investigation to determine what rights and claims exist over the area and may take steps to settle such claims and terminate such rights as permitted by law.

“With respect to whether areas of minerals and petroleum interests are to be included in proposed protected areas, Clause 31 calls for consideration of mineral and petroleum information known at the time,” he said.

The Clause says the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission will provide the Minister with adequate information regarding the mineral and petroleum potential of the area and the Minister shall take this information into account before making a declaration.

He said that in six of the seven classes of protected areas outlined in the Bill, mining is not anticipated. “In the managed resource protected area there could be some mining but purely artisanal, manual, or with limitations on the equipment that may be used. Whatever the case, mining in a protected area must conform to Clause 122 – Prohibition on Mining, which said ‘Any person, except persons under the Amerindian Act who mines, quarries, drills or removes any gravel, earth, sand or prospects for such substances in the national protected areas under Paragraph A of the Fourth Schedule’,” Hinds said.

Minister of Agriculture Mr. Robert Persaud, who piloted the Bill through the House, debunked some of the Opposition arguments against the Bill. He said that contrary to the arguments presented, the Bill does not restrict the rights of Amerindian people. He said, too, that there was consultation, despite murmurings to the contrary.
“First of all, the issue regarding Amerindian rights a declaration of protected area, I want to point out for emphasis, and it is clearly defined in the Bill, we all know that the laws of Guyana make it illegal to interfere with Amerindian rights regarding the areas that have been designated,” he said.

The Minister said, too, that the notion that the Government is trying to ‘wring the hands of anyone or any group’ is certainly out of place and can just perhaps be a statement for the current season we are in.”

He also pointed out that the rights enshrined in terms of the process by which an area is declared comes from the Amerindian community and noted that the Bill “clearly describes” consultation. He said consultation must not be seen as an event, but a process, one that the Bill provides for.

“The period 2008 to 2010 saw extensive consultation in Amerindian communities,” he said.

The Minister said that another misrepresentation by the Opposition was whether or not the Government had submitted any project proposals to the GRIF Steering Committee.

The Minister confirmed that project proposals were submitted to the Steering Committee and on June 14, 2011, one of the proposals was approved by that Steering Committee.

Further, Persaud said that government is in the process of finalizing legislative work to deal with the issue of wildlife management and trade.

Responding to the Opposition speaker, the Minister pointed out that the LCDS and the country’s protected area strategy were different but complementary in nature.

“All of us in the National Assembly should be proud of this initiative. It also comes at a time when our global leadership is well recognized. On July 1, we commenced co-Chair of the REDD-plus partnership with Germany. Just recently, the President was named Ambassador for the Amazon and we know of the accolade that he won in terms of being considered by the United Nations as Champion of the Earth,” the Minister said.
He said the Bill fits into what the country has been doing and does not take away recognition from earlier Governments and earlier Presidents of Guyana. “We can go back to when Dr. Jagan spoke in the 1970s about ecological justice and the work that was done during the PNC administration. All of us should be proud that we live in a country where there is multiparty support in terms of promoting sustainable development,” he said.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs Ms. Pauline Sukhai also voiced her support for the Bill, saying that it will lead to the protection and conservation of Guyana’s natural heritage. But she said that for the legislation to work, there must be lifestyle changes among Guyanese with regard to how they treat the environment.
PNCR Member of Parliament Mervin Williams sought to move a number of amendments to the Bill with respect to areas that the PNCR-1G found objectionable. But many of the changes he sought were voted against by the ruling side.