THE ongoing efforts of the Iwokrama International Centre together with support from government agencies to stem the illegal gold mining situation within the Protected Area, has resulted in further arrests.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, a mission by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission along with the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Natural Resources saw several persons being arrested on February 23, 2025.

“These illegal miners included a Brazilian with family ties to a nearby community, who has a long history of illegal incursions into the Iwokrama forest, along with two other Guyanese – from the Essequibo Coast and Paramakatoi Village,” the release said.

It added that Iwokrama over the past years has been “besieged” by illegal gold mining in the Siparuni area and has sent stern warnings that such intrusions will be forcefully dealt with. Several enforcement activities led by the Government of Guyana’s regulatory agencies have been undertaken to curb these illegal activities, which saw 14 persons arrested in 2024.

Community leaders associated with Iwokrama have also strongly condemned resident community persons’ involvement in illegal gold mining within Iwokrama and signed on to a joint communique in October 2024.

The release pointed out that the Iwokrama and North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) have agreed to strongly condemn these illegal operations in the Iwokrama Forest, undertake to ensure that members of the communities understand that gold mining is illegal in the Iwokrama Forest and that supplying these illegal operations with materials and supplies is also illegal and work together on a comprehensive monitoring programme that will include communication and reporting mechanisms amongst each other and report on any suspicious activities in and around their communities and the Iwokrama Forest.

According to the communique, they are grateful for the Government of Guyana’s support in eradicating this major problem and will continue to engage with and support the government in their efforts to curb this activity and wish to remind the general public of the importance of the Iwokrama Forest to the livelihoods of the communities of Regions Eight and Nine and the national reputation of Guyana as a country known for its biodiversity-conservation initiatives.

The release added that the centre would like to once again remind the public that gold-mining activities are absolutely not allowed in the Iwokrama Forest.

“Furthermore, such illegal activities are a threat to the centre’s international certification and to Guyana’s forest-management system as a whole and will [not] be tolerated. Iwokrama reserves the right to publish the names and photographs of persons found conducting illegal gold-mining activities on the Protected Area.

“Iwokrama’s management acknowledges that collaboration is the most effective way to target such illegal activities and are grateful for the continued support from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Police Force, the Protected Areas Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency,” the release said.

For further information on the management of the Iwokrama Forest and to report any illegal activities in the forest, Dr Raquel Thomas, Director, Resource Management can be contacted at rthomas@iwokrama.org. More information on the centre’s work is available on the following websites: www.iwokrama.org , www.iwokramariverlodge.com and www.iwokramacanopywalkway.com