Author: Adonika Spellen, Research Officer: Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission
Edited: Alona Sankar, Commissioner Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission
ABSTRACT: The sustainable wildlife trade represents an important avenue for the provision of financial resources to persons with varying economic situations. The Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission is seeking to strengthen wildlife management while considering the evolving needs of wildlife users across every sector of the value chain ( Wildlife Conservation and Management ACT Section 6(1) C, 2016). The trade of psittacines is important to the livelihood of many Guyanese. Therefore, it is crucial that a system of checks and balances be implemented to protect against unsustainable use. It was necessary to identify, through interaction with stakeholders, the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the wildlife trade in Guyana. This led to the creation of the framework on which the management plan would be built. The general objective is to create guidelines with indicators which would improve monitoring and animal husbandry practices, while considering livelihoods and the species role in the ecosystem. The methodology includes consultations, scientific surveys of abundance and diversity, and strategies for education and awareness. Thus far, the consultations and the surveys have improved our knowledge on the ecology of psittacines and will be used to inform future policies.
KEYWORDS: Conservation, management, monitoring, animal husbandry, consultation, CITES, animal welfare, species, abundance, diversity
