Iwokrama warns about illegal activities in its forest

The Iwokrama Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development says it is seriously concerned about illegal activities in its forest and said it has already imposed penalties on one tourism operator and a gold miner is now being placed before the court.

Around a million acres of forest in central Guyana was set aside in 1989 for sustainable forestry studies by Iwokrama. In an advertisement in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek, Iwokrama said that it was concerned at the proliferation of illicit activities which include hunting, logging, mining and fishing. It pointed out that such activities are not permitted unless the Centre gives express written permission.

Noting that the Iwokrama Act encompasses penalties for transgressions of the Act, Iwokrama said that it has already imposed penalties on an errant tourism operator who was caught illegally logging in the forest and a gold miner has been arrested and is being placed before the court.

“Iwokrama has spent enough time and resources on education and awareness with regard to these illegal activities in the Iwokrama Forest and has now adopted a zero tolerance approach to these activities, especially the gold mining and logging operations”, the advertisement said.

The Centre warned that it will be rigidly applying penalties to persons found operating illegally in the concession and will work along with regulatory bodies.

It noted that the Iwokrama Act includes the following penalty clause: “Any person who contravenes the provision of subsection (2) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of one hundred thousand dollars or imprisonment for a period of one year, and where the offence is of a continuing nature, to a further fine not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars for each day during which the offence continues after conviction”.