Wildlife conservation sensitisation workshop encourages journalists to partner with GWCMC

“THERE are serious penalties with regards to the hunting of our wildlife species,” said Samuel Glasgow, Legal Officer at the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC), on Tuesday at a media sensitisation workshop.
The workshop, which aimed to educate journalists on their roles in the conservation and management of Guyana’s wildlife, also aimed to notify the public that there are penalties for unlawful interaction with wildlife.

Based on the kind of unlawful interaction with these wildlife species, penalties can vary from a fine of $75,000 up to about $300,000 and even imprisonment.

Glasgow pointed out that wildlife has rights just as human beings, and as such, the GWCMC has found it fitting to put laws in place that will conserve, protect, and sustain Guyana’s wildlife.

“These species they have a right: to life, to live in their habitat and the Guyana Wildlife Commission and the government has found it important to put laws in place for the protection, conservation and management of these wildlife species,” he said.

Glasgow noted that endangered species are the most protected species and have stringent penalties attached to the reckless interaction with the animals.

“The reason they are endangered is because they are excessively hunted for their parts and to be exported, so we the commission work along with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to ensure that these animals are listed as protected species and those animals, they attract the highest penalties,” stated.

According to Glasgow, the GWCMC receives a report about the interruption of wildlife species almost every day of the year. These reports include, humans encroaching on the wildlife’s habitat. Reports are also made about wildlife looking for food in human living quarters, due to a lack of food in their own habitats, as a result of human activities such as hunting and mining.

Persons who are interested in interacting with wildlife are being advised to read the Sixth Schedule of the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016, which will educate them on the penalties attached to the unlawful interaction with Guyana’s wildlife.

According to Glasgow, the commission has a monitoring department which is currently on the move to sensitise the people of Guyana and even foreigners who are interested in the wildlife spectrum of the country, on how to treat Guyana’s wildlife species.

Meanwhile, Deuel Hughes, Communication Officer at the Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (WCMC), indicated that the media is viewed as the organsation’s significant partner in educating the public about the importance of Guyana’s wildlife, through reporting on human-wildlife interactions in Guyana.

“We view the media as significant partner in informing the public about the importance of our wildlife, especially our endangered species and the ones that are listed as protected under our regulations,” Hughes said.

Hughes highlighted that media operatives should be mindful of story headlines, as they matter and can project a positive or negative message of how the public should view and treat wildlife.

“That is why we brought representative from the various media houses here today, so that you guys can understand why they are important and the message that you guys need to portray to the general public, because the general public, they as well have a role to play in the protection of our wild life. If the media can understand the type of message that they should be portraying then that will help the regular person out there to better understand their role,” he explained.

He further noted, that although humans may not see the tangible benefits they gain from wildlife, the species definitely play a significant role in maintaining a balanced and diverse ecosystem, and so, humans do benefit directly and indirectly from wildlife.
“Wildcats are a part of the Guyanese landscape, as are all wildlife, and they play important socio-economic functions,” he added.

The Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission was established in accordance of Section Four of the Guyana Conservation and Management Act. The commission is responsible for all matters associated to the conservation, protection, management and sustainable use, external and internal trade of Guyana’s Wildlife.

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