Warden Station ‘Black Caiman’ commissioned

– Wardens to set standard for use of natural resources – Min Trotman

DPI, Guyana, Friday, October 25, 2019

The capacity to protect Guyana’s natural resources has now been boosted with the commissioning of the country’s first Warden Station ‘Black Caiman’ in the Bartica. Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Raphael Trotman opened the post located at Dogg Point on Wednesday.

“This is a major milestone for us,” Chief Warden of the Corps, Trevor Blenman said.

Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford.

Warden Station ‘Black Caiman’.

Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Raphael Trotman [centre], said Chief Warden, Trevor Blenman [right] and Director of Compliance, Derrick Lawrence [left] flocked by the men and women who make up the Corps of Wardens.

According to Blenman, the station will allow the wardens to conduct patrols more effectively. “Being here in Bartica, we will be able to launch out into the mining districts in the Mazaruni-Cuyuni, and we will be able to conduct patrols effectively from here than we would have been able to from Georgetown.”

He also pointed out that the Wardens are equipped with the necessary resources, which include 4×4 pickups, All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, and boats to execute their job effectively.

Minister Trotman said that the station is the first of three stations slated to be commissioned that will protect the country’s natural resources and national patrimony. The Corps of Warden, he stated, was the vision of His Excellency, President Granger.

“This station is expected to set the standard for guarding our natural resources and to maintain a high level of integrity as well. This station is also becoming operative at a time when there is a greater need for monitoring the sector in light of the recent mining accidents and criminality that we have been reading and hearing about,” Minister Trotman underscored.

He continued, “we will continue to do everything we can to ensure compliance with the rules, regulations and laws governing this sector”.

In preparation for their duty, the Wardens underwent training, ensuring they recognise unsafe mining practices and understand what corrective actions must be taken.

Extensive training was carried out by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), The Guyana Wildlife Management and Conservation Commission, the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

While the Wardens are allowed to bear arms, Minister Trotman emphasised that caution must be exercised in the carriage, usage and storage of the weapons.

Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford said in his travels throughout the region, he sees the need for the Corps of Wardens and reminded the team that they have a responsibility to not only to protect the natural resources but also to the future of Guyana. “The most important feat that you have to have to confront is the feat of correcting and safeguarding the patrimony of this country,” he told the wardens.

Persons are also encouraged to lodge complaints of illegal activities at the station which will be investigated by the wardens.

The ‘Black Caiman’ Station houses 16 wardens while the national Corps of Wardens currently has a workforce of 55 wardens.