Recommendations

1. Conservation

The fragile biodiversity of Kaburi deserves to be conserved as a top priority. In1978, STINASU and LBB already recognized the unique environmental qualities of the Kaburi-Nanni Lake area and proposed to grant it a Nature Reserve status. Changes of government, the civil strife of the 1980s and even interdepartmental friction between water management priorities and conservation have all conspired to delay the creation of the Nature Reserve. Now the time is right and all the entities concerned appear to agree ­but we must act quickly before the human impacts on the area increase still farther. Also, the Indians in Washabo wish to see the Nature Reserve created as quickly as possible. However, even if the Nature Reserve stops illegal activities and encroachment by the Guyanese, who will stop the Indians from Washabo building more permanent camps and kitchen gardens in the creek?

2. Education

STINASU and the Oceanic Society wish to launch a local environmental education program based in the Washabo area. STINASU staff will train local volunteers to become nature conservation educators, guides, guards and boatmen. Once their training is complete they will visit local schools and communities in Suriname to explain the value of the Kaburi Creek area and the reasons for preserving it as a Nature Reserve. They will also act as volunteer guards for the Nature Reserve until STINASU appoints a Reserve Manager who will train permanent staff. Wildlife capture and trade regulations will also be explained to the local communities so as to prevent smugglers from exploiting the wildlife in the creek and elsewhere in the region.

3. Utilization of Kaburi Creek

The Washabo community will continue to use Kaburi Creek to hunt and fish using traditional means on a sustainable yield basis, and cultivate their kitchen gardens as they have always done. Such activities are part of their culture. The only difference is that now they must plant their gardens further and further away as the soils become arid, and as the population increases ­ and Kaburi creek is a location of choice. They will be asked to continue their tradition of using canoe and paddle only or very small outboard motors (under 15HP) in the creek. Since they do not wish to see outboard motors polluting the creek this will be readily agreed. However, tree felling to accommodate the large kitchen gardens has gotten out of hand. There are now nine large gardens in the creek, measuring 250m x 350m or more. The trees and underbrush are cleared down to the soil -- this will cause erosion and run-off into the creek during the rainy season.

Any new logging or tree felling operations must be strongly discouraged, particularly in the middle and upper creek above Km 4 where high dry land is rare and forest patches are small. Current logging operation contracts have been halted by the Indians. Whether the Indians will agree to maintain this welcome initiative which impacts their economic revenue remains to be seen.

Animal capture and trade of any kind must be stopped. It is against the wishes of the Indians and, depending on the species taken, against government and international regulations. If the environmental education programs can be implemented quickly a new team of Wildlife Agents can be trained to monitor and stop such activities both in the creek and in nearby Apura. The Indians living at the mouth of Kaburi will keep a look out for such traders and stop them. If unable to do so, they will alert Washabo immediately so the Forestry Officers or other officials can act quickly. (see also Duplaix, 2001).

When can Kaburi be opened to eco-tourism? Initially, a small number (4-5) of service project volunteers could visit Kaburi with a guided motorboat tour as early as October 2001. How often this can be done remains to be determined. We do not know how this activity will affect the otters on top of the Indians' daily use of the creek. Perhaps it would be better if project volunteers did not spend more than a few nights in the very primitive camping conditions in the creek but use the Apura guesthouse instead.

The visits to Kaburi should be spaced so that the creek wild life can 'recover' from the intrusion, particularly if otter cubs are present. Further, if the otters do not wish to maintain contact, the boat should allow them to retreat. At this time we can only suggest caution and flexibility in opening the creek to visitors until the otters tell us what they are willing to put up with so we can structure tourism accordingly.

Other activities can be planned such a forest walks, savannah or swamp birding tours to keep the volunteers busy during their stay in the area. One of the most interesting aspects of Kaburi is the succession of habitats: low creek forest, high forest, swamp, savannah ­ each with its own fauna and flora. Guided walks or short canoe trips up the smaller creeks, at key points along the creek, would make the trip upstream that much more appealing ­ particularly when the otters are nowhere to be seen.

Expanding the number of 'other' activities will make the visit to Kaburi to see its otters and birds more rewarding and allow regular visits during dry season from September to December, and March-April as well. If the Giant otters have cubs and appear sensitive to the added disturbance, certain areas of the creek could be avoided.

Kaburi is not ready for large scale eco-tourism yet. We recommend that STINASU control all other eco-tourism tour operators wishing to go into the creek, regardless of the reputation of tour operator involved ­ perhaps by issuing a permit that could be collected by trained volunteers at one of the Indian camps at the entrance of Kaburi. STINASU might require that all potential tour guides undergo the same conservation education training as the local Washabo tour guides ­ and pay for it.

A number of tour operators already propose trips to Washabo, Apura and up to the Wonotobo falls area so their interest in Kaburi is certain to happen. The most important recommendations are to keep the size of tourist boats small, and to keep motorized boat traffic to a minimum because it has the worst side-effects. Restricting boat traffic at any given time (e.g., one motorized boat permit issued per day or week) and particularly at the beginning of the dry season when the otters have young will be necessary.

4. Implementation Phases

Phase 1. Kaburi-Creek-Nanni Lake Nature Reserve. Both STINASU and LBB- Nature Conservation are working together accelerate the Nature Reserve designation process with the help of World Wildlife Fund. This is a welcome initiative after decades of inactivity. The designation is expected to be ratified before the end of the year.

Phase 2. Conservation education program in Washabo. STINASU, with help of the Oceanic Society, is anxious to launch a local environmental education program based in the Washabo area. STINASU staff will train local volunteers to become nature conservation educators, guides, guards and boatmen. The Indians in Washabo are also looking forward to this proposed conservation education program. It should be encouraged to proceed and assistance should be given to find funding.

Phase 3. A Giant otter study in Kaburi Creek and ongoing biodiversity monitoring should become a long-term project as soon as possible. It may be possible to combine it, in the beginning with Phase 1, using Marchal Lingaard and Claudine Sakimin assisted by trained volunteers from Washabo. It is important to identify individual otters (using their neck patterns) to determine their territories and movements in and out of the creek. In this manner it will also be possible to evaluate the impact of increased human presence or activity in the creek particularly on the shyer otters there. Again assistance should be given and funding sought to insure that data collection and analysis meet scientific requirements.

Phase 4. Eco-tourism. The residents of Washabo and Apura are particularly interested in this potential income-generating aspect of the project. They hope that eco-tourism will be a profitable activity for many of them. We recommend that eco-tourism be introduced to the creek as a pilot project on a very limited basis from October ­ December 2001 and mid-February ­ April 2002. The camping conditions on the creek are primitive and limited. Heat and humidity take their toll. This tourism destination will appeal to only the most adventuresome Giant otter lovers. One two-day tour a week could be envisaged. Other activities in the area could include walking/birding trails in each habitat along the creek: high forest, low swamp forest, swamps, savannah, and even canoeing up the smaller creeks.

Phase 5. Publicize and promote the value and unique qualities of Kaburi Creek through publications, videos, and bird recordings. It is much harder to destroy an area that has received wide international media attention.