GOB Moves to Establish Macaw Sanctuary in Red Bank 

Meanwhile, the Briceño Administration is moving closer to establishing a protected area for scarlet macaws near Red Bank Village. This consideration follows consultations with residents, landowners, and tour operators. Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet explains that Cabinet discussions on the proposal began several years ago, with the aim of safeguarding critical macaw habitat along the river system. Progress has been slow, largely because much of the land in the area is privately owned and actively used for farming by residents of Red Bank and nearby Mennonite communities. Habet says an area has now been identified and mapped out for possible designation.

 

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“ A few years ago in Cabinet, we discussed that perhaps it would be prudent for us to look at an area within the Red Bank area that we can designate as a protected areas for the macaws. And so we have been working on that. It has taken up some time because a lot of the lands are private and also because the Red Bank community has farmers who have been doing some farming in that area. We have had about three or four meetings with the community.  As late as last week, we had a meeting with some community members, the village council and some of the tour operators. And we have already sketched out an area that we want to include as that protected areas area for the macaws. They’re a little glitches because we have asked the minister of natural resources to work along with us, which he’s working along with us to maybe cancel some of the lands that have been privately owned or have just been issued and then maybe relocate those people so that they can go elsewhere. So the idea is to designate the area as a wildlife sanctuary, but because wildlife sanctuary one would not permit any type of movement within the area, we realized that the people of Red Bank, many of them, their livelihood depends on tourism and people taking people to see the macaws. So if we designate it as a wildlife sanctuary two, they can do a little bit of tourism and have their livelihoods. So that is where we are right now, almost ready to sign off on that wildlife sanctuary two for that area.”