…Trotman says dredge owners being sought

SEVERAL villagers from Chenapau, Region Eight, were on Sunday afternoon arrested and transported to Georgetown from the Kaieteur National Park for allegedly being involved in illegal mining in the area.
The Guyana Chronicle understands that a joint operation by soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) resulted in approximately 20 Chenapau residents being brought to the city to assist with investigations.
Kaieteur National Park is one of the country’s protected areas and as such, mining in the area of the park is prohibited. The park is one of the oldest and most iconic Protected Areas of Guyana and was established in 1929. It is especially known for the majestic Kaieteur Falls, the tallest single-drop waterfall in the world.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, on Sunday confirmed that an operation took place at the Kaieteur National Park and that several persons — primarily workers — were arrested. It is the intention of the Ministry of Natural Resources to seize and, or disable all dredges found working in the area, Trotman asserted. “I am looking at seizing and or disabling them,” he told the Guyana Chronicle, while explaining that there is no routine monitoring of the Kaieteur National Park areas as it is not a designated mining district.
Trotman explained that a few weeks ago it was observed that there was a resurgence of illegal mining at the Kaieteur National Park contrary to regulations. As such, a secret operation was planned to halt the operations at the behest of President David Granger, who has overarching responsibility for the environment. Sometime last year, GGMC officials had visited the area and stopped miners from operating in the protected area; those persons were warned and reaffirmed government’s strong objection to any kind of mining in the area. During that operation last year, a policeman lost his life when the boat in which he was travelling capsized. “Kaieteur is expected to be maintained as pristine place for protection of our bio-diversity, the Kaieteur National Park is part of the protected area, so a decision was taken to have a decisive operation to address the situation.”
Back in April last year, Guyana Police Force Police Special Constable 14536 Akeem Hyles had died following the boat accident in the Amatuk Falls area, Potaro River.
Hyles, who was attached to the Tactical Services Unit (TSU), was among a team of Joint Services personnel and officials of the GMC in a boat in the Amatuk Falls area when the vessel capsized. A police report then had noted that Hyles had departed Ogle Airport with other ranks who were dispatched to assist the GGMC officials in dealing with illegal mining in the Kaieteur National Park area. According to reports, although Constable Hyles was a good swimmer, the murky waters of the Potaro River were a challenge for him, and he was swallowed up by the river.

Very disappointing
The Natural Resources Minister described the situation as “very disappointing” that in a year’s time persons have returned to the area. “A decision was taken to act quickly; it was planned very secretly because it was found in the past that people were communicating with [those guilty].”
The minister noted that the police have detained persons who are being questioned, many of whom he believes may have been hired by dredge owners to work. “We are more interested in the dredge owners and operators than the mere labourers; certainly, the fact that people are being brought out is a sign that this is not a casual thing, this is serious.
“We are after the dredge owners, last year we put some punitive, heavy fines on the dredge owners. They were not supposed to go back there…I would hope that none of those who were fined last year have returned, but certainly we expected last year that the message would have been promptly sent,” said Trotman. The minister made it clear that the GGMC officers are not routinely stationed at the Kaieteur National Park as it is not within a mining district. “We don’t keep GGMC officers there, because there is not supposed to be any mining. The GGMC officers are supposed to be in the mining districts so that area is a reserved area. It would be the Kaieteur Wardens and the Pilots; we rely on them when they do oversights when they are taking tourists in, to make reports.” This far, there have not been similar issues of mining in other protected areas across the country, the minister said.