The following is the preliminary Consultant's report on the UNDP- World Wildlife Fund consultancy to assess the impact of plant and wildlife trade on biodiversity in the Guianas Shield Eco-Region (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). This topic forms part of the Guianas Forests & Environmental Conservation Project of the WWF/USAID/UNDP.

The Terms of Reference provided to the Consultant for this consultancy are the following:

1. Conduct an assessment from January 19-29, 2001 of the efficiency of the wildlife management systems and structures in place in the Guianas with a view to support the sound management of the biological diversity of these countries.

2. Make a preliminary assessment of the relative importance of the legal and illegal international wildlife trade and its impact on the biodiversity in Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana.

3. Meet with the Government Agencies in each country, the animal exporters and relevant NGOs to collect information and to assess the extent, and major avenues of legal and illegal wildlife trade.

4. Discuss findings and recommendations with WWF-Suriname and finalise the Preliminary Report as soon as possible.

Methodology

The Consultant examined wildlife trade legislation and trade records in Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. A special effort was made to meet and consult with the relevant government agencies, university researchers and major stakeholders to determine the level of trade, as well as trends and areas of concern requiring further study. Prior to her departure from Washington DC, the consultant also met or consulted with TRAFFIC personnel, the CITES Scientific Authority, Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement, IUCN-Sustainable Use, and NGOs involved in international wildlife trade issues (see Appendix I, II).

Guiding Principles

In making our recommendations for the existing wildlife trade management framework in the Guianas, we followed these guiding principles:

Each country and its governments are responsible for conserving their wild fauna and flora.

Our stated objective is to conserve wild fauna and flora for sustainable long-term use including both consumptive use (harvesting for food and the export trade) and non-consumptive use (eco-tourism).

Wildlife management agencies should be flexible so they can quickly address changes in species status and the effects of potentially detrimental trade.

Management should be transparent and accountable to all stakeholders. Annual reports, findings and species updates should be available to all stakeholders involved.

The animal trade stakeholders should work cooperatively to manage their resources and minimize mortality factors during transit.

All stakeholders should fulfill their respective obligations under national species protection regulations, hunting regulations and international treaties.

Findings, Recommendations and Problem Areas

This report attempts to review and compare three countries with three very different approaches to wildlife use and conservation management. Complex issues and contradictions are involved in the wildlife and plant export trade, particularly when three countries are compared. While some of the recommendations apply to all three countries others are the direct reflection of problems within a given country or governmental entity. We tried to make our recommendations practical in nature and feasible even though some may take longer than others to implement.

The following are brief summaries of the inputs received from interviews and from the examination and comparison of the trade and permit data on a country-by-country basis. Much works remains to be done. It must be stressed that these findings are preliminary and may, with further research, prove to be incomplete and/or inaccurate. All comments and clarifications are welcome.

Acknowledgements

The Consultant is grateful for all the help and assistance received from the Government agencies, wildlife exporters and trappers, non-governmental organizations and individuals consulted. We wish to thank all the people that we met and worked with and for their patience with our endless questions and requests for additional documents. All gave freely of their time, and their insights and guidance were invaluable in the preparation of this report.

Nicole Duplaix, PhD
27 March 2001