MINISTER of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said several persons believed to be smuggling birds from the North-West District (NWD) have been intercepted and apprehended by enforcement officers. The minister made this disclosure during a press conference held at his Brickdam office on Thursday.
He told reporters that the enforcement officers discovered the illegal movement of seven orange-winged parrots, 17 red-shouldered macaws, two dusky parrots, and five painted parakeets, a total of 31 birds. The birds were being transported during the closed season, which is currently ongoing.
It was confirmed by the minister that persons were arrested and once the ministry can ascertain that the trapping was illegal, charges will be filed against the perpetrators
Noting that the alleged smugglers were coming from the North-West District, Minister Trotman opined that they were possibly heading to Georgetown, after which the birds would have likely been shipped out of the country.
“With the heavy influx of foreigners coming home, perhaps they thought they could bring a shipment down illegally, but the vigilance of our officers should be commended. So the Wildlife Division is busy and we have been able to halt the illegal transit of those birds, given that we are in the closed season when there should be no trapping of birds,” the minister said.
The minister added that although this is the first case of an apprehension that has been recorded for the year, the ministry has been monitoring strange activities elsewhere in the country.
In April, two persons were charged with attempting to smuggle protected birds out of Guyana.