The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has been implementing various promotional tools to educate persons about the importance of the country’s mangroves resources.According to Deputy Chairman of the Better Hope/La Bonne Intention National Democratic Council, Ramkarran Boodram, some trying issues were highlighted during a one-day workshop held by NAREI, which saw more than 23 community volunteers, (NDC) officials and mangrove rangers in attendance last Saturday at Cove and John.
Boodram noted that while he’s satisfied with the restoration of the mangroves within his NDC, garbage dumping within the mangrove forest continues to be a significant challenge.
Community volunteers, (NDC) officials and mangrove rangers who participated in the workshop last Saturday
Making reference to Bette Hope, Vryheid’s Lust, Brothers/Montrose and Chateau Margot villages, he noted that garbage dumping, mangrove harvesting, and grazing of livestock are three main human impacts affecting mangrove forest along the East Coast Demerara foreshore.
“Household waste and shrimp waste (are continually being dumped in these areas. The NDC is currently engaging residents through a series of community meetings. It is expected that these issues would be highlighted with a view to finding appropriate solutions,” Boo the dram explained.
Chairman of Haslington/Golden Grove NDC, Royston Kingston, expressed that his NDC is faced with similar issues and this is having a negative impact on their mangrove resources.
Although the instances have been reduced, farmers continue to graze their livestock within the mangroves. Also, there have been reports of harvesting mangroves for fishing poles and garden poles.
The Mangrove Action Committee, a volunteer group under NAREI, identified a number of interventions to be implemented during 2018 that will seek to address these issues. They include public awareness and education programmes on the importance of mangroves, targeting youths through environmental clubs, and engaging the relevant government agencies such as EPA.
It should be noted that mangroves are protected under the Forestry Act, and as such it is legal to destroy mangroves without permission from the Guyana Forestry Commission.
