THE new Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill which was approved by the National Assembly this week can only be effective if there is enforcement of the laws, said Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Simona Broomes.Broomes, in her address to the House, said there is a need for the “effective application of the provisions” contained in the legislation. She explained that “collective responsibility” is essential when examining and enforcing the provisions of the legislation. “Mr Speaker, there is need for a national conversation on wildlife conservation,” the minister stated, as she reminded that stakeholders ought to be consulted for collectively they are rich in knowledge. There is the need for continuous education to “undo that lopsided understanding of wildlife and its significance.”
Minister Broomes noted that expansion of the mining and forestry sectors oftentimes result in the loss of focus on the significance of the “gift of our wildlife” and noted that the legislation serves as a “reality check.”
“Legislation will only have real meaning if we can effectively enforce regulations that require us to co-exist with nature. This Bill is only worthy of deliberation in this House if it brings about a collective awareness of what is at stake. Because, Mr. Speaker, my own experience tells me, that all the laws, all the rules and regulations are not worth the paper they are written on, unless we arrive at an understanding of the magnitude of the real undertaking and commit ourselves to meaningful action,” she told the National Assembly.
The Bill makes provision for the establishment of a Management Commission as well as a Wildlife Scientific Committee. On that note, Broomes said supporting institutions ought to be given the resources to enable “effective enforcement.”
“This is a problem that we have faced with the management of our hinterland resources. Our seriousness on conservation legislation must be reflected in the resources that we invest in the enforcement of the provisions of that legislation,” she remarked. She believes that correcting the nation’s historical understanding on the country’s wildlife will serve effectively in a bid to change the mindsets of citizens and those who interact with the country’s wildlife. It is about coming to appreciate wildlife as more than pets or a part of the food chain.”
The Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources told the House that effective implementation of the legislation requires the creation of infrastructure to manage wildlife resources. “Fine words, regulations and procedures are frequently not translated into action. As far as oversight in the gold-mining sector is concerned, for example, we are far from where we ought to be.
Our official oversight mechanisms are weak and inefficient. Often these mechanisms are manipulated for personal gain,” Broomes added. The Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill 2016, seeks “to provide for the protection, conservation, management, sustainable use, internal and external trade of Guyana’s wildlife.” The passing of the legislation, Minister Broomes said, is significant as currently the country’s wildlife has become the focus of national economic attention.
“The extractive industries are creating changes in areas of our country that have been undisturbed for centuries. There is now increased contact between man and wildlife; and it is wildlife that is required to give way. The increased contact results in man-made infrastructure disrupting the pattern of existence of the country’s wildlife.” She said the legislation will assist in the assembling of tools that are necessary for co-existence with wildlife.
The Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment believes that it is time that the public’s perception of wildlife be changed from “wild meat” and other delicacies that many of the country’s animals and birds represent. “Once you become intimate with the interior of our country you come to appreciate the real value of the gift of wildlife and the ways in which we can benefit from this gift,” the minister added.