A trip to a stretch of mangroves on the East Coast of Demerara was organised on Sunday to underline the need for their conservation.
As part of International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems, the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) in collaboration with Environmental Management Consultants (EMC) Foundation, hosted a mangrove odyssey to bring awareness of the importance of mangroves.
The event took place along the seawall from Turkeyen to Ogle and saw participation from several government officials and members of the diplomatic community, a release from the Ministry of Agriculture said.
Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha while offering remarks said that mangroves play an important role in preserving Guyana’s ecosystem while also acting as a natural sea defence.
“We are living in a region that is very vulnerable, the second most vulnerable in the world and we must be prepared. I’ve been having regular discussions with the EMC and I can assure you that there will be more activities like this to highlight the critical role mangroves play in preserving our eco-system as well as developing our natural sea defences,” he said.
Mustapha also said that the government has, over the last three years, expended hundreds of millions of dollars as part of Guyana’s efforts to regenerate mangroves along Guyana’s coast.
“Since I became Agriculture Minister, the government has expended in excess of $500 million to support our mangrove restoration efforts. This shows the government’s commitment to ensuring these systems are preserved. Although these efforts have a positive impact, we cannot do it alone. We need support from other organizations. I am pleased to see so many organizations onboard. I want to encourage others to come onboard so that we can have more activities like this and make a greater impact,” he added.
While monies have been spent on protecting mangroves and re-growing them, the regulatory authorities have permitted the destruction of large swathes on West Demerara and in Berbice in the pursuit of developmental projects.
