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WORLDWIDE
FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Guyana: Legality of Huge New "Exploratory"
Timber Lease Questioned
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Forest
Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
http://forests.org/
4/11/97
OVERVIEW,
SOURCE & COMMENTARY by EE
Under
the guise of 'exploratory licences', Guyana's government has
undertaken
to "grant leases in territories outside of the areas designated
as
State forests." Given that
investments of millions of US dollars have
already
been made by the Malaysian timber company, Kwitaro Investments, how
could
one expect that such "exploration" will lead to anything but heavy
industrial
logging? Some of the new areas being
opened to logging are
described
by Conservation International and the Smithsonian Institute as
being
particularly rich in biodiversity, indeed, a hotspot for natural life
forms
in the Americas. Malaysian timber
companies clearly have emerged as
the primary
culprit responsible for increasing deforestation threats in
remaining
jungle wildernesses. Their miserable
forest management
practices,
which include clearing huge areas of virtually all merchantable
timber,
must be banished from remaining primary rainforests. The following
item
comes from the Guyana Human Rights Association via the World
Rainforest
Movement.
g.b.
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FOREST PEOPLES PROGRAMME
10
April 1997
Executive
Committee
Guyana
Human Rights Association
LEGALITY
OF NEW TIMBER DEALS OPEN TO QUESTION
The
announcement of an 'Exploratory Lease' to be granted to yet another
Malaysian
timber company, Kwitaro Investments, adds considerable pressure
for a
Full explanation of the legal basis and the meaning of these leases.
In the
first instance, 'exploratory licences' in the forests are unknown to
law. Secondly, this legal fiction is being used
to grant leases in
territories
outside of the areas designated as State forests, i.e. outside
of the
area in which the government has the authority to grant concessions.
What is
the point of this illegal behavior? The
GHRA is calling for full
public
consultation on the proposed amendment of the Principal Forestry Act
before
the matter goes to Parliament.
The
fictitious character of these leases is reinforced by the fact that the
granting
of exploratory leases has been accompanied by detailed statements
of
lavish investments of millions of US dollars. This goes well beyond any
normal
understanding of the term 'exploration', suggesting the companies
have
been given assurances that they will be allowed to exploit the
concessions.
What are these unwritten assurances?
If the
concept of "Exploratory" is a way around the fact that the
Government
has no authority at present to give out any timber concessions
on
these territories, does it mean that a legal extension of State Forests
will
then allow these leases to be converted into concessions? The concept
of
'Exploratory Leases' suggests careful environmental standards are being
required
prior to extraction, but in reality, they look suspiciously like
posturing.
In the
same Kwitaro announcement, it was stated that
the government is
preparing
legislation to extend the boundaries of State Forests below the
fourth
parallel (4 degrees latitude). Last year the Stabroek News (27/3/96)
reported
that "extensions (to State Forests) are not likely to go beyond
the
third parallel initially", clearly
quoting official sources. The
descriptions
of the Kwitaro exploratory lease is, however, well South of
the
Third parallel and closer to the second. Does this mean that the
proposed
legislation is going to designate the entire Southern part of the
country
as State Forests?
An
alarming feature of the new concession is the threat it poses to one of
the
richest areas of bio- diversity in the Americas, the Kanaku Mountains.
This
area begins across the Rewa river which constitutes one of the
boundaries
of the Kwitaro concession. Both Conservation International and
the
European Community have published reports on the richness of the area.
The
Conservation International Report states the area contains "250 species
of
birds - about 75% of all forest-based species in the country.... 80% of
the
country's mammal fauna also occurs in the Kanaku region. When the flora
and
invertebrate fauna are more thoroughly studied, it seems likely that
levels
of species richness (e.g. of butterflies) will approach those of
birds
and mammals. "A Smithsonian explorer described the area in more
graphic
terms, as a virtual "Garden of Eden" in terms of wild life and
fish.
All of this is at risk if Kwitaro are allowed to operate as far as
the
Rewa river, currently teeming with giant otters and black caiman. What
specific
protection measures are written into the Kwitaro contract against
endangering
this natural paradise.
In the
same Stabroek story, Mr. Chanderpal was quoted to the effect that
"20%
of available land in the South would fall under protected areas". No
protected
areas have yet been designated in the South. In fact the only
Guyanese
designated areas (apart from Iwokrama) is the Kaiteur National
Park,
which is a protected area in name only, since nothing has been done
to
protect it from anything.
A
further set of legal questions arising from 'exploratory leases'
surrounds
such issues as the control exercised by
the Forestry Commission
over
the conduct of inventories. Are the companies authorised to carry out
their
own? What capacity does the Forestry Commission have to ensure
inventories
are accurate? Who conducts inventories of fauna and wildlife?
Who
conducts social and environmental impact assessments of roads built by
the
companies? The Environmental Protection Agency ought to be exercising
these
powers, but nothing has been heard from this agency since its former
Director
was dismissed.
The
Government's obsessive determination to place the ancient wealth and
future
prospects of Guyana in the hands of foreign companies with no
interest
in the welfare of this country, raises yet another set of
questions
as to whose tune the Administration is dancing.
The
Guyana Human Rights Association is calling for a suspension of all
leases
outside of existing State Forests until Protected Areas are
designated
and effective programmes to ensure protection of the
bio-diversity
are funded and in place. We also call
for a properly
organised
public consultation on the timber policy which is currently being
rushed
through the Forestry Commission.
Forest
Peoples Programme
1c
Fosseway Business Centre
Stratford
Road, Moreton-in-Marsh
GL56
9NQ, England
email:
wrm@gn.apc.org
tel:
+44 (0)1608 652893 Fax: +44 (0)1608 652878
The
Forest Peoples Programme is an affiliate of the World Rainforest
Movement.
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