MINISTER of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud, has blazed Alliance For Change (AFC) leader and Member of Parliament, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, for what he called “reckless and irresponsible” assumptions with “a naked attack on the integrity of the hard-working technical staff” who have aided in the formulation of the Wildlife Import and Export Bill of 2014.

Comments made following the second reading of the 2014 Wildlife Bill in the National Assembly on Thursday sparked debate in the House. The minister had noted that the legislation would bring Guyana into compliance with the regulations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES); but Ramjattan, in the National Assembly, refuted that there had been any meaningful consultation with

the relevant stakeholders of the wildlife sector.

Minister Persaud, in his response, chided: “The honourable member does not, and cannot, speak for stakeholders who operate in the wildlife sector.”

Persaud, discontented with Ramjattan’s position, stated: “I would expect (that) if there was something fundamentally wrong with the Bill, the honourable member would have highlighted the inadequacies.” He added: “If we believe that something is inadequate or that something is missing, we will table an amendment so that we can enrich, enhance, and better the piece (of legislation).”

Minister Persaud called on the AFC Leader to recognise that “this is a place where we expect rational and constructive input.”

“This is not a place where we come and ‘gaff,’ and talk what we feel like saying and make all sorts of wild and reckless accusations.

“I will present the notes of the various meetings, and I will present the actual modification which was made by stakeholders and those (that) were submitted to the Drafting Section of the Attorney General’s Chambers, where those particular notes were taken into account,” Persaud responded.

Minister Persaud contended that Ramjattan’s willingness to impute motive and dishonesty to the Government’s development of the Bill is both “reckless and irresponsible.”

Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael Trotman, in addressing Ramjattan’s outlandish claims, called on the AFC Member of Parliament to “refrain from making presumptions and or potential accusations or connotations in the absence of evidence”. The Speaker said, “If the Bill is to move to the special select committee, then concerns may be raised, ventilated or satisfied; but desist from being pre-emptive.”

In an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle, Minister Persaud outlined the benefits of the Bill and noted that it would affect the regulatory ability of the state to manage the importations and exportations of flora and fauna.

“For us, it is a matter of urgency, because the trade itself can be affected. We don’t want our exports in any way to be affected, as well as our efforts to set up a robust regulatory framework for our importation and exportation of flora and fauna”, Persaud said.

AFC Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan had made a call for the Bill to be moved to the Special Select Committee for deliberations. Minister Persaud said in the National Assembly, “This should not be a Bill that has generated any level of controversy, but perhaps I erred; it went beyond the point of controversy and to the point of hysteria, and at times we had the paranoia flare of the honourable member [Ramjattan] that proceeded me; and I am disappointed!”

SMUGGLING AND REVENUE
The provisions of the Bill are set to address security concerns of the Government to ensure that the trade of wildlife is not used to smuggle other items.

“We have not been able to quantify the extent of smuggling, but we know that there might be opportunities lost; we want to maximise those opportunities”, the Environment Minister declared.

He said that, in recent times, there has been an increase in income earned from the exportation of flora and fauna, and this has been calculated at some 17 percent of the value of such exports, representing $151M of earned revenue in 2013, as compared to over $140M earned in 2012.

In highlighting provisions made for advancement, Minister Persaud noted, “There are modern provisions (included in the Bill), and we don’t want to continue to have a backward wildlife sector; but, instead, a wildlife sector that can do much more in a way that brings economic as well as ecological and environmental benefits.”

Minister Persaud was alluding to such provisions as: monitoring and managing the individuals who trap the animals; regulating holding facilities for such animals; and monitoring the conditions under which the animals are kept.

“Right now, there are no regulations that govern that (the foregoing),” Persaud asserted.

The Minister said there is also the issue of wildlife ranching, which would be the best method of acquiring wildlife for exportation. “Instead of depending on going and extracting from the natural habitat, why not create a ranch, whether you are looking for labba or agouti. We are now trying to promote this, but you have to set up a framework to do that.”

The Minister said the laws of Guyana in this regard are archaic, and the current Bill, which is before the National Assembly, would allow for these modern provisions, which other countries have adopted, according to CITES regulation.

Guyana became a signatory to CITES in 1977. The Wildlife Import and Exports Bill is intended to develop effective methods for management, extraction, and trade of wildlife in Guyana. The absence of such a Bill has found Guyana vulnerable on managing and regulating persons involved in the local trade, to ensure that such activities do not affect the Government’s ability to ensure proper management of wildlife resources.

The Bill was moved to the special select committee after being read for the second time by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine. The motion was seconded by AFC Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan, and was voted unanimously by the House to be sent to the Special Select Committee.

(By Derwayne Wills)