GPS confirms that dredges were operating in Kaieteur National Park

-Protected Areas Commission

The Protected Areas Commission (PAC) yesterday said that Global Positioning System (GPS) points confirm that dredges seized earlier this month during a Joint Services operation were indeed operating within the Kaieteur National Park (KNP) and its buffer zones.

In its first public statement since the conclusion of the “covert” joint service operation in the KNP, the PAC said GPS points verified by their office, confirm that the mining equipment and camps discovered earlier this month were in the KNP.

Having remained mum on the matter for more than two weeks, the PAC finally broke its silence last evening with a press statement which contained details of the operation which had been ordered by President David Granger about a month ago to tackle illegal mining in the KNP.

The statement explained that in February 2017, the PAC conducted a comprehensive aerial monitoring exercise to map and document illegal mining activities within the Park Boundary and buffer Zone. This exercise reportedly led to the discovery of four active mining sites and eight active camps; people and heavy equipment were also observed and photographed, using sophisticated GIS and photography equipment.

Another aerial reconnaissance was reportedly conducted by the GDF in May 2017, which identified a total of twenty areas that appeared to have mining activities in the Mure Mure and Tukeit areas.

According to the statement, it was this exercise which prompted the “joint Interagency Anti- Mining Operation,” which unlike previous enforcement activities was mostly covert to minimize the chances of illegal miners being forewarned.

It was further noted that at the conclusion of the operation which had lasted approximately three weeks, a total of twenty six illegal mining dredges were seized in the Park; twenty three in Mure Mure, and three in the Tukeit-Waratuk Area.

In addition to this, GPS points of camps, mining sites, and engines were recorded and subsequently verified to be located in the Park and Buffer Zone.

Having noted all of this, the PAC in its statement said that it is in the process of analyzing all the data gathered and would be pursuing aggressively some of the recommendations provided as a result of this exercise, the statement shared.

However, questions that remain unanswered include; what efforts are being made to determine who are the owners of these dredges, and what charges, if any, will be laid against them if they can be found, and what will become of the dredges and the other equipment which were discovered in the operation?

“Strained Relations” The PAC, in its statement, had also acknowledged that historically there have been strained relations between Chenapau Village and Park Management, however it is their claim that over the past eight years there has been remarkable improvement, with more frequent meetings and collaboration.

As a result of the recent enforcement exercise, the Protected Areas Commission on June 2nd, 2017, conducted a meeting with members of the Chenapau Village Council to discuss the issue of illegal mining in KNP.

Coming out of the meeting was an agreement by Chenapau to participate in a

“ground-truthing exercise” with the PAC and other key stakeholders to identify key boundary points. Efforts are also underway to coordinate a visit to the community to share the findings of the exercise and to discuss the way forward.

Further, the PAC in its statement said it is cognizant of the fact that nearby communities like Chenapau depend on mining as one of its main sources of livelihood, and as such, they have been working with the community over the years to provide additional opportunities for benefit sharing.

This, according to the statement includes Chenapau residents being given priority for employment as senior wardens, rangers, wardens, guesthouse attendants and other support staff; apart from permanent employment with KNP, an additional 43 residents have been employed as research assistants during biodiversity surveys where training was provided in scientific research methodologies and GIS mapping.

Furthermore, the KNP, following a request for training and jobs, a tour guide training was facilitated which involved 18 persons from four communities in Region Eight, including 11 from Chenapau; introductory Ranger training has been conducted yearly, since 2013, and PAC has recruited the top performers.

“One of the two co-facilitators was a resident of Chenapau and subsequently four trainees from among the top performers were employed as wardens in the Park,” the statement read.

Financially speaking, the PAC said Chenapau has received the most funding given to any one community under the Guyana Protected Areas System project. This would include funds to the tune of $20 million being provided to complete the Chenapau airstrip at the request of the community, and an additional $1 million was provided for craft development which saw over 30 women trained in needle and embroidery work, and more than 20 men and women trained in furniture and craft-making using natural products.

Notwithstanding, the KNP had at one time worked closely with the Chenapau and Karisparu communities to develop the draft Kaieteur National Park Management Plan. During this process which involved multiple meetings and resources, mapping and rapid rural appraisal of the villages were done free of cost and a GIS specialist was provided to conduct a “ground truthing exercise” with the communities, after which all maps and reports were digitized, printed and returned to Chenapau and Karisparu, the statement added.

Through collaboration with a conservation organization, full scholarships were also provided for Chenapau students to attend the Bina Hill Youth Learning Centre in Annai, Rupununi while additional funding was sourced to support a familiarization trip, where the ChenapauKarisparu Village council visited the Iwokrama Protected Area and North Rupununi Villages to better understand how protected areas can be managed to ensure benefits for all stakeholders.

In previous consultations, however, the PAC noted that the village had suggested that a percentage of the tourist fees be made available to the community for development activities, however, these suggestions and others are currently under review by the agency.

In the meantime, the Park continues to make available to Chenapau villagers the use of its boat and engine, and other services provided at Kaieteur Top.

Nonetheless, the PAC says it is committed to working with the Chenapau to improve relations and advancing the conservation of Kaieteur National Park, in a manner that would benefit local communities and all Guyanese.