Historic Bio Conference commences - Guyanese urged to take full advantage

Historic Bio Conference commences
- Guyanese urged to take full advantage
Kaieteur News, 25 September 2007

The historic two-day International Conference on the Status of
Biological Sciences in Caribbean and Latin American Societies commenced
yesterday at the Buddy's International Hotel, Providence, featuring
internationally acclaimed biologists from around the world and from the
local university.

Dr. Mohammed Saquib, Head of the Biology Department of the University
of Guyana and Organizing Chair of proceedings, said that the event
provides Guyana with the opportunity to discuss and reassess the
diverse activities in biological sciences in our sub-region.

He stated that as economies and societies worldwide wrestle with
sustainable development in the context of limited natural resources and
harsh international economic conditions, the role of developments in
the biological sciences need constant assessment and re-evaluation.

Further, Saquib stated that as a small developing country, Guyana has
rich but relatively underdeveloped natural resources, along with an
astounding biodiversity worthy of international attention.

“We hope that this conference will serve as a stimulating forum for
fruitful deliberations, intellectual challenges and exposure to the
biological sciences as well as the technological and industrial
activities in Guyana , deriving from biodiversity and biological
innovations,” he said.

Additionally, the conference, which ends today, will seek to address
key thematic areas and generate discussions and networking thereafter.

Saquib said that the University of Guyana will seek to use this
opportunity to establish international linkages for mutually rewarding
research collaborations to facilitate Guyana 's competitiveness in the
new bio-economy.

Personnel from biology labs from across the world, including countries
like Belgium , the United States , Canada , and Trinidad and Tobago ,
along with several other countries, are represented at the conference.

In a statement issued by President Bharrat Jagdeo, delivered by Prime
Minster Samuel Hinds, it was noted that understanding the status of
biological sciences is most necessary for conservation and sustainable
utilization of the region's rich biological diversity.

In the statement, the president appeals to the scientific community and
all disciplines in the University of Guyana to take full advantage of
the historic international conference and to develop strong links with
visiting participants and their institutions.

It was highlighted that Guyana has made available to the international
community approximately one million acres of untouched tropical
rainforest to serve as a living laboratory for scientific approaches to
sustainable forest management.

Also, it was mentioned at the conference's opening ceremony yesterday
that Guyana's natural ecosystems are under great pressure from the
impact of advanced technologies used in development activities
producing a wide range of goods and services.

“We are challenged therefore to better understand the science of our
ecosystem diversity and species diversity, in order to provide the
necessary guidelines for development activities which impact negatively
on the integrity of our biodiversity.”

Moreover, it was stated that Guyana and the region as a whole must keep
abreast with the rapid advances globally in Biological Sciences.

Topics covered in yesterday's symposium included an in-depth paper
presentation on environmental science along with overviews of other
related topics.

The activities will continue through to today where it is expected to
feature other paper presentations on biodiversity and Natural Resource
Management, along with a plenary session.

(Alex Holder)

GFC satisfied with asset transfer between Jaling, Bai Shan Lin - Persaud

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56529539

GFC satisfied with asset transfer between Jaling, Bai Shan Lin - Persaud
Stabroek News, Tuesday, September 25th 2007

The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) is satisfied with the transfer of
assets between Jaling Forest Industries Inc and Bai Shan Lin, logging
firms with Chinese interests, which have been under the microscope of
late.

According to Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, the GFC had been
working with the two companies to resolve issues of ownership of those
assets. The minister said the matter was resolved to the satisfaction
of the commission.

Persaud explained that the situation between Bai Shan Lin and Demerara
Timbers Limited (DTL) was totally different from what transpired with
Bai Shan Lin and Jaling, where assets were transferred from one company
to another.

In the case of DTL, the minister had said in an earlier statement that
DTL was still in control of both the management and administrative
aspects of its operations. The GFC had on August 28 held a meeting with
the senior management of DTL and Bai Shan Lin and received assurances
that there has been no transfer of shares or assets from DTL to Bai
Shan Lin.

Persaud had disclosed that Bai Shan Lin was considering either a
complete or partial takeover of DTL in the future. However, he added,
both parties have committed to keeping the GFC fully informed of any
such development and following the required government/GFC procedures.

According to the minister, DTL has been engaged in logging and the sale
of logs/lumber to local and overseas markets and was now about to enter
the value-added arena. He had said that DTL did not have the necessary
expertise to produce the quality of value-added products, nor access to
the niche markets to get better prices.

He said that in order to address these shortcomings, DTL formed a
strategic alliance with Bai Shan Lin for product development and
marketing. The minister said there had been no staff changes.

Earlier this year, this newspaper had reported that Bai Shan Lin had
secured the rights to 400,000 hectares of forest for a period of 20
years. According to the company's website, the company would have been
processing logs harvested from the Jaling concession.

President Bharrat Jagdeo, at a press conference, had insisted that the
transfer of any assets of DTL to Bai Shan Lin had to meet strict due
diligence before garnering approval and he had made it clear to the GFC
and that it was not an automatic process.

Stating that the issue was discussed in Cabinet, Jagdeo had added that
the GFC would have to establish the track records of the companies and
do the necessary due diligence before deciding on anything final.

On Show "New Guyana"

The attached photographs - show Guyana's prime flooring
and furniture logs being loaded unto a ship ironically named the
Benefit Wisdom moored in the Demerara River mouth on September 22,
2007.

The madness of the export of our prime flooring and furniture logs
continues

On Show "New Guyana"

A brighter future for Samling Company, Bai Shan Lin, and Jaling!

Welcome to the Log Carnival, admission is cheap.

Hello (or Goodbye) Future.

Amerindians used biotechnology

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56529494

Amerindians used biotechnology
Stabroek News, Monday, September 24th 2007

Dear Editor,

The late Sir Everard F im Thurn (MA. Oxon,1852-1932) published (1883) a
work entitled: Among the Indians of Guiana: Being Sketches Chiefly
Anthropologic from the Interior of British Guiana. There are detailed
descriptions of how cassava bread is made, with variations under
different conditions when the cassava is scarce. However, we want to
focus on the earliest recorded incidence of 'biotechnology' procedures
in British Guiana. (This is from my contemporary readings of our
national historical documentation - I am of course subject to
correction by evidence to the contrary by the experts in this field.)

On Page 263 of the abovementioned work we read: "Cassava bread which is
to be transformed into paiwari, is made as that for other purposes; but
it is thicker, and is baked, or rather burned, until it is quite black.
It is then broken into smaller fragments, and is mixed with water in a
large jar or pot The larger fragments are picked out and chewed by the
women, who do this while moving about and performing their usual
household work; and the masses are again replaced in the jar. As soon
as this jar is sufficiently filled, its contents, after being well
stirred, are slightly boiled, and are then poured into the trough. More
and more is added to the liquor in the trough until it is full.

"The mixture is then allowed to stand for some days, until it is
sufficiently fermented - a process which is said to be much accelerated
by the mastication of the bread. Sometimes a little juice of sugarcane
is added to sweeten the liquor.

The result is a brownish liquor - looking like coffee with a great deal
of milk in it - with a sub-acid, but not unpleasant taste. Some of the
True Caribs, it is said, and some of the Brazilian tribes, manage to
prepare paiwari, and to procure a proper degree of fermentation, by
simply boiling, without resorting to the very disagreeable but more
orthodox chewing process; but paiwari produced in this way is said to
be of very inferior flavour."

"In some parts of the country, instead of paiwari, both for festivals
and for ordinary occasions, a much pleasanter drink is used. This is
casiri, which is made of sweet-potatoes and sugar-cane. A little
cassava is sometimes added. Generally, though not always, it is
prepared simply by boiling the ingredients, and allowing them to
ferment. It has a pretty pink colour, due to the sweet potatoes; and
when well made it tastes not unlike thin claret…"

For those who love to eat and have done some science, we would remember
that digestion of food begins in the mouth - ie chewing breaks down the
size of the food particles to smaller and smaller-sized ones. This
chewing is necessary so that we can have the maximum surface area of
the food exposed to the saliva - produced by the salivary glands in the
mouth. This chewing therefore also maximises the efficiency of the
catalytic process that occurs in the presence of saliva. The saliva
produced in the mouth contains an enzyme called human salivary amylase
also called ptyalin (among other chemicals) which is mainly called
alpha amylase that breaks down a complex carbohydrate such as starch
(polymer of glucose) into simple sugars (monosaccharide, disaccharide
or tri-saccharide e.g. such as glucose, maltose, maltotriose,
respectively, and "limited dextrin"). The alpha amylase enzyme is
present in very small amounts in the saliva. Usually, in any biological
enzymatic process only a small amount of the catalyst is needed. The
alpha amylase enzyme (like other enzymes) here works best at a
particular pH (ie a measure of acidity or alkalinity) range (in this
case slightly alkaline, 7.4). (Incidentally, the saliva also contains
another enzyme called lysozyme that lyses (breaks down) bacteria, in
addition to other anti-bacterial compounds.)

This saliva helps to sterilise any bacteria that would remain on any
improperly washed or handled cassava. Hence the saliva destroys any
bacteria present as well as breaking down starch to form glucose,
maltose, maltotriose and "limited dextrin"- done by alpha amylase and
lysozyme, respectively.

The stirring mentioned above also allows for maximum exposure to the
enzymatic processes - thereby maximising the efficiency of the
catalytic breakdown of starch into maltose. The heating to a slight
boiling denatures (kills) the enzymes - thereby stopping the catalytic
action of the enzyme (alpha amylase). This phase of the production
process is over. The heating to a boiling also acts as sterilization
step - since heat kills bacteria, viruses, and other living
micro-organisms that may also be present.

The sterilised maltose is now ready for the next step - fermentation of
simple sugar i.e. maltose into alcohol. (Incidentally, from cane sugar
we extract the sucrose (a disaccharide) which is then fermented to give
alcohol.). Unfortunately, I found no detailed record of how the
fermentation process was/is initiated, controlled, and stopped. Maybe
those with this knowledge or experience can kindly let us know.

We see from the above that the old making of paiwari is indeed complex
science - and the participants involved intuitively must have some
understanding of the biological chemistry or biochemistry involved.
Today such a complex process would be in the realm of applied science,
ie biotechnology, since it involved the use of biological materials in
a complex production process.

Next time, we see Amerindians I hope that we have more respect for
their immense knowledge. If we look carefully without prejudice, we can
learn a lot from them. They do have a lot to teach us - we just have to
be open-minded.

I taught biochemistry at UG, regrettably I was not aware at time that
there was a good local example of the application of early
biotechnology in Guyana. I never learnt about this until I was doing
some research about the Rupununi Uprising. Who knows what other gems
are there to be discovered and recorded before they are lost.

These liqueurs (paiwari and casiri) can probably be produced for
commercial exploitation using alpha-amylase. Besides the use of sweet
potatoes in casiri, fruits such as 'jamoon,' gooseberry, tamarind,
and/or other local fruits can be used to make flavoured liqueurs. This
would provide an additional market for cassava-based products. This
would be a good enterprise for DDL or some adventurous group of young
entrepreneurs.

Hope that next time we can all celebrate Amerindian Heritage month with
a new found respect for their contribution and knowledge - in addition
to their knowledge in forestry, botany, zoology, and their
environmental awareness.

Yours faithfully,

Seelochan Beharry, PhD

The simpler things

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56529505

The simpler things
Editorial, Stabroek News, Monday, September 24th 2007

In the glow of the national satisfaction over the award to Guyana by
the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea every other issue
seems to fade into the background. While seven long years have been
lost in the frustrating quest for oil as a result of the unjustifiable
behaviour of our Caricom neighbour, there is no denying that a great
opportunity has been opened in the waters of the Atlantic to rocket
Guyana's development stratospherically.

The decision by President Jagdeo to take this dispute to the law of the
sea tribunal will go down in our frontiers history as a bold one and
one which was subsequently thoroughly vindicated. His decision will
accrue further credit were oil or other resources found in commercial
quantities as is likely based on several surveys. The unstinting
efforts of Sir Shridath Ramphal, the Ministry Foreign Affairs and the
legal team assembled must also be applauded.

As the mobilization of seismic vessels etc gets underway there is some
time to ponder the sage advice of Sir Shridath on the need to manage
carefully any eventual find of oil so that the mistakes that have
attended other such strikes are not duplicated. Apart from the need to
ensure that deals with investors are substantially beneficial to the
country and not rapacious or exploitive there is also the larger issue
of managing the mining of resources in the offshore zone and prudently
utilizing the returns.

But that is some way ahead and the dreams that petro dollars will
somehow alleviate the circumstances of each and every one of us shortly
are still far away on the horizon and mirage-like at the moment.

Let us in the meanwhile get the simpler things right. Like ensuring
that our environmental management and enforcement of the relevant laws
are pumped up as they will be severely tested were production rigs to
dot the seas off the country. The present state of the Environmental
Protection Agency and the policing of laws are not inspirational.

The whole permitting process for land use change and the siting of
businesses is so awry that a law-abiding citizen in a quiet residential
neighbourhood can awake one morning to find a noisy car repair shop
next door or monster trucks parked in a yard on the block. The system
presently doesn't work and offenders get away in the netherworld that
occupies the gaps left by the city, the CH&PA, the regional democratic
councils, the neighbourhood democratic bodies and the village councils.

One example of this weakness and denial of jurisdiction reared its head
very nakedly last week and not without consequences for people who
could least afford it. Parts of the Essequibo River island of Leguan
and its vital rice crop were threatened by the same rampant sea we now
have greater rights too. The problem here was that a simple koker
defect was allowed to mushroom into a much graver threat to the rice
crop and other plots and the peace of mind of this farming community.

What the neighbourhood democratic council (NDC) in the area should have
immediately repaired was left to worsen. Even in this region that has
voted solidly for the ruling party the feedback and co-ordination
between the NDC and the regional democratic council (RDC) was abysmal.
Everyone sat on their hands and waited for the next person to act.

When the problem worsened, central government was forced to step in.
Ministers berated the community leaders for not acting earlier and
while the government marshalled equipment to fill the breach the
embarrassment continued. The material to seal the breach had not been
mobilized in a timely manner; ill-starred bureaucracy had gotten in the
way. Bureaucracy is important for an orderly society but in emergencies
it becomes a veritable impediment especially in a flawed local
government system.

So, what could have been sealed in a jiffy took much longer. Sadly,
this is only one of a long line of similar events and they continue to
occur in more modest manifestations which escape national scrutiny.
Real reform of the local government system to prevent such problems
remains - like the search for oil - mirage-like at the moment. It has
been held hostage to the political machinations of the major parties.
It needs to be freed from this stranglehold so that the farmer and
citizen of communities like Leguan don't suffer under mediocre
governance.

The award of the tribunal promises much and thankfully the prospect of
an oil find is still some distance away. Let us use that time
profitably to ring the changes that we desperately need in governance,
management and planning.

CI to seek bigger Essequibo conservation area

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56529478
CI to seek bigger Essequibo conservation area
By Nicosia Smith
Stabroek News, Monday, September 24th 2007

Senior Economist at CI Dr Richard Rice, who brought the concept to
Guyana, said that the problem that conservationists face is that "if
destruction pays and conservation doesn't," then the first will always
win over the latter

Conservation International (CI) Guyana since establishing the Upper
Essequibo Conservation Concession (UECC) five years ago has reported
strong partnerships with communities nearby and announced plans to seek
an extension of the concession.

Celebrating the fifth year anniversary at Cara Lodge on Friday night
were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, other government officials, members
from CI Washington office and non-governmental organizations.

On July 17, 2002, Conservation International signed a 30-year lease
with the Guyana Forestry Commission for the management of the Upper
Essequibo Conservation Concession - an area of approximately 200,000
acres of pristine rainforests in a watershed area within the forestry
zone in the upper Essequibo River.

According to Manager Eustace Alexander of Conservation Science at CI
Guyana, within the next five years CI plans to implement new
initiatives to leverage new sources of funding and petition the
government for geographic expansion of the present conservation
concession. They also plan to ask for the inclusion of the site into
the legally protected area when the National Protected Areas System
becomes enacted.

In addition, CI also intends to explore a greater variety of
partnership arrangements, particularly with Guyana's private sector and
multinational developmental agencies.

Already a corporate sponsor is on board with the concession - Save Your
World Corporation which makes personal care products in the United
States. Save Your World President Scott Cecil was present to mark the
five-year anniversary.

The communities closest to the site are Apoteri (50 miles away); Rewa
(70 miles away) and CrashWater (100 miles away).

These communities are dependent upon the forest and its resources for
their livelihoods, noted Alexander, since the communities "would like
to secure their forests from the perils of development (e.g. logging)
and still achieve socio-economic development."

In the absence of National Protected Areas legislation, the purpose of
the conservation concession is to conserve pristine forests, explained
Alexander, before it is subjected to some of the impacts of national
development, e.g. commercial logging.

Because of this, the conservation science manager indicated that the
communities have supported the concept of the conservation concession,
which will keep the trees standing and will conserve their food
resources. In addition, it will allow for the maintenance of
traditional practices and still provide the communities with
socio-economic benefits, he said.

"Though the biodiversity of the site is not yet fully understood, there
are numerous species of animals and plants, some of which are either
endemic to Guyana or globally endangered," according to Alexander,
noting animals like the Giant River Otter, Giant Armadillo and Black
Caiman which are found at the concession.

The concession allowed for the implementation of a Voluntary Community
Invest-ment Fund (VCIF) to provide socio-economic development to the
three stakeholder communities.

To date, funds disbursed under the VCIF have established a sheep and
mutton production project for Apoteri, constructed an eco-lodge for
Rewa and provided CrashWater with a sewing and craft centre.

Conservation International Guyana also built the local capacity of
residents for their active involvement in site management.

For example, four residents of the three communities were sponsored to
attend the Ranger Training Programme at the Iwokrama Research and
Training Centre, Alexander said.

These four residents after graduation were recruited by CI-Guyana and
at present they form the core-team, which manages the field base at
Apoteri and routinely monitor the site to ensure its biological
integrity is not being jeopardized.

It was also noted that because of Apoteri's strategic geographical
location, CI Guyana has entered into a rental agreement with the
village council for use of the Apoteri Guesthouse as the field base to
support activities at the site and in the area.

GFC regulations

Because the concession is governed by regulations of the GFC, its
implementation followed procedures similar to those of a commercial
timber concession.

These included: Applying to the Guyana Forestry Commission for a State
Forest Exploratory Permit (The application was submitted in May 2000
and approved five months later).

A Forest Resources Management Plan also had to be prepared guided by
feedback from stakeholders like the Regional Advisory Committee and the
GFC during consultations and meetings; and an inventory of commercial
timber species was also done. At the time of this project's
implementation conservation concessions and perhaps biodiversity
conservation as a whole, said Alexander, "were relatively new concepts
to Guyana."

As such, CI Guyana said it was compelled to follow a few procedures
that are considered unique - since such procedures are not normally
followed by loggers. For example, local lawyers were hired to conduct
legal analyses to determine any legal issues that might negatively
affect the project; and initial consultation with all stakeholders
(local, regional and national) to evaluate the feasibility of the idea.

Following this, a Draft Forest Management Plan was then prepared and
distributed to all stakeholders for their review and feedback before
being finalized, said Alexander.

Another unique approach was the determination of annual royalty fees,
since with logging concessions annual royalty fees are determined by
information on trees harvested per year. But in the case of the
conservation concession the royalty fees being paid by CI Guyana to the
GFC were determined by negotiation.

Additionally, because the conservation concession is not expected to
impact the environment the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment
was nullified.

For the next five years, CI Guyana will again engage with all
stakeholders to finalize the forest resources management plan.

Guyana Forestry Commis-sioner James Singh in remarks said that the GFC
is not only interested in revenue collection from activities like
logging and sawmilling, but is also committed to conservation.

Singh noted that over the five years the collaboration with CI has been
excellent and fruitful and there is no reason to believe that the
future will be any different. (Every five years CI has to submit a
management plan to the GFC.)

Senior Economist at CI Dr Richard Rice, who brought the concept to
Guyana, said that the problem that conservationists face is that "if
destruction pays and conservation doesn't," then the first will always
win over the latter. Often, he noted, there are few ways to directly
benefit from conservation, but the conservation concession model
provides a level playing field.

He also mentioned that the establishment of the concession in Guyana
paved the way for similar conservation concession agreements in Kenya,
the Solomon Islands, China, Peru, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea and in the
Congo. Some of the agreements in these countries have been completed,
while others are being processed.

Fired forest officer appeals

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56529477

Fired forest officer appeals
Stabroek News, Monday, September 24th 2007

The fired Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) senior officer has filed an
appeal in the hope of clearing his name and has referred to a section
of the GFC's Human Resource Department (HRD) Policies and Procedures
manual to strengthen his case.

Rudolph Adams, former assistant commissioner of forests who was
dismissed last month for alleged breaches of operations procedure, said
that according to the HRD manual, as a senior officer he should not
have been fired without the board of the GFC being involved. And he
said that according to his information, the new board has not been
constituted.

Adams told this newspaper that he wanted his case heard by an
arbitration committee, which Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud has
promised to put in place. He said it was the absence of the board that
led him to seek the minister's intervention.

Adams said he heard that one of the persons selected to serve on the
arbitration panel was currently out of the country, hence the delay in
the panel meeting and deliberating on the case. Writing on August 29 to
Dhanraj Bipcharran, Head of Human Resources and Administration at the
GFC, Adams said: "…I hereby notify management by way of this letter
[of my intention] to appeal the decision …terminating my contract
with the GFC as stipulated in the Human Resources Depart Policies and
Procedures Manual section 4.10.11."

He said in the letter that the GFC's letter of termination to him
didn't state any specific reason for the decision to terminate his
contract.

A press release from the commission had stated in August that
disciplinary action was taken against two GFC employees, as well as
external stakeholders involved in the breach of procedures regarding
the export of forest produce from Guyana. The statement said the action
was taken after the commission had completed its detailed investigation
into the matter. A junior employee was suspended in relation to the
same incident.

The statement said the two GFC officers were disciplined in accordance
with the commission's Human Resources Policy Manual adding that
"disciplinary action has also been taken against the external
stakeholders who were involved in the identified breach of procedures."