Illegal trade of wildlife to be fully penalised – GWCMC

The Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) will be rolling out its new Wildlife Domestic Licensing System in the coming month to better regulate the local and international trade of wildlife in Guyana and penalise persons who seek to trade without a licence.

This is according to Communications Officer Deuel Hughes, who told Guyana Times on Monday that persons require a licence to conduct both local and international trade of wildlife in Guyana, but the licences are issued on an annual basis.
“Persons require a licence to conduct trade. Those persons who would be trading wildlife externally would be exporting wildlife or importing wildlife from Guyana to another country, they actually require an export licence. We issue those licences on an annual basis,” he said.
He further revealed that the GWCMC is currently issuing permits to persons to conduct local wildlife trade as the Wildlife Domestic Licensing System is not fully operational.
“…Last year we would’ve focused on raising awareness on our domestic system of licences. That system is not fully operational as yet, so what we’re doing in the interim is that we’re issuing persons permit to sell wildlife locally,” Hughes explained.
Persons who are selling wildlife, whether it be through wildmeat shops or pet shops would have to apply to the GWCMC to conduct any sale of wildlife. Hughes hopes that by the month of March, the Wildlife Domestic Licensing System would be fully operational for persons to be issued with a standard wildlife trade licence instead of a permit.
“Actually, later in the year, or as soon as next month we are hoping to roll out that system fully where they would require an actual licence to conduct their activities,” he confirmed.
Hughes also disclosed that even though the system is not fully operational, persons who are caught selling wildlife without a permit can have the specimen of wildlife in their possession confiscated by the GWCMC. He noted that once the Wildlife Domestic Licensing System is functional, persons will be penalised even further.
“When the full system comes on board that is when we’ll start penalising persons in terms of fines and even jail time is applicable,” he said.
Kamrul Baksh of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), last year, showed his support towards the initiative as it ensures the sustainability of local wildlife.
The GWCMC regulates the hunting, trapping, trade, protection, conservation, management, and sustainable use of wildlife, harvesting, and transporting wildlife under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2016. (G2)