The Government of Guyana has defended its decision to clamp down on illegal mining in the protected Kaieteur National Park, despite protests from relatives of some of the illegal miners.

Over the weekend, a number of illegal mining camps were shut down and miners arrested. The move came following repeated attempts dating back to more than three years ago, to bring a stop to mining in the protected area.

In an effort to clamp down on mining in Protected Areas, the Government of Guyana has launched a joint services operation in the Kaieteur National Park (KNP), where the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) had discovered, through aerial reconnaissance, 20 illegal mining camps.

In a statement this evening, the Ministry of the Presidency explained that a recent joint operation by the Joint Services and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, found a number of active mining operations.

Of the five mines, three had already been issued cease orders by the GGMC in 2014 with reinforcement actions as recent as 2016.

“Despite this and two site visits by the GGMC, following the issuance of the cease orders, at least two of the three mines still remained active”, the statement said.

Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission, Denise Fraser, is quoted in the statement as pointing out that illegal mining in the area has been taking place for a number of years despite repeated warnings.

She added that cease orders were issued as far back as 2013 to end mining activity in the Park.

“What we have found is that in some areas where miners have been previously moved, they have gone back. So there is a need for strong actions so that a message can be sent. In 2013, five cease orders were issued by the GGMC to mining operators of mines within the Waratuk area, north-eastern boundary of the Park boundary.  There were two site visits conducted by PAC and GGMC in August 10, 2014 where three mines and four camps were observed within the extreme north and north-eastern boundary of the park. This led to the issuance of three cease orders by the GGMC.  In March, 2016, two flyovers were conducted by PAC and GGMC, which indicated that the mining had continued to persist within the Park boundaries. This led to the GGMC enforcement, which resulted in the seizure of 11 engines, eight dredges and an excavator,” Ms. Fraser said.

Photo from Ministry of the Presidency

National Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman reminded that the Kaieteur National Park is a national protected area and it is incumbent on the Government to send a strong message to those who are bent on breaking the law. The Minister noted that only last year, six operators were removed from the area.

“Last year, we sent a team in and it was during that exercise that we even lost a member of the Guyana Police Force after the boat he was travelling capsized and yet we have persons returning to the Park and mining. The Government must, therefore, send a strong message to the individuals because it is a national protected area and part of our national patrimony,” Minister Trotman said.

Section 4 of the Kaieteur National Park Act states, “It shall not be lawful for any person to enter into, travel or encamp within the park or to build any structure therein, or to hunt, chase, catch, shoot at, kill or otherwise disturb any animal or cut, pluck or gather any of the flora or interfere with or disturb he soil by mining or other operations within the park or to remove anything whatsoever from the park except in accordance with regulations made under this act. (2) Any person acting in contravention of any of the provisions of subsection (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of ninety-seven thousand five hundred dollars, and anything taken by such person from the park shall be forfeited.”

Michael McGarrel Photo

Further, according to the regulations made under the Mining Act 2005, Part XXVII Section 251 (1) (a), “No person shall conduct mining and quarrying activities in the following areas- (b) In specified nature reserves and parks where resource extraction is prohibited; (c) In buffer areas without express approval of the Commission and the notification of parties likely to be affected by the activity.”

On Monday, relatives of the miners who were arrested, lashed out at the government for its move to clamp down on mining activities in the area. Many of them claim that they depend on mining as a source of income.  However, they are reports that many of the villagers may have found themselves linked to mining operations from the mainland.

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