The consumption of wildlife as a food source is an age-old tradition of indigenous and tribal people. Various groups from various villages in the hinterland provide their members with meat by hunting wild animals and fish, but all this is now in danger.
Steven Petrusi, chairman of the Association of Saamaka Communities (VSG), notes that there is a huge threat to the presence of wildlife in the various areas in the hinterland. The age-old tradition of wild meat and fish as a food source is in danger of being disrupted by recent developments, such as logging, gold mining and extreme drought due to low rainfall and other changes in the natural landscape, related to climate change.
Petrusi says that in the village where he himself lives, Nieuw Aurora, there are strange phenomena to be noticed with regard to the presence of wildlife. The animals move closer to the villages instead of further into the forest. “They come to our agricultural plots. They eat people’s crops when no one is home. We get a lot of complaints.” The chairman states that the animals are moving into the villages because of large-scale logging. The areas where the animals have built their nests are being destroyed and are sometimes no longer accessible or disrupted. Many of the trees that are cut down provide fruit, leaves and tree fragments that the animals eat. “That is why the animals come to the agricultural plots to look for food.” The captain indicates that the animals completely destroy or eat some of the plantations.
Climate change
Due to the extreme drought in the hinterland in recent months, the animals have also been forced to move to areas where they can find water and food. Minister Gracia Emanuel of Regional Development and Sports indicated earlier in November that food and water will be sent to the areas for the people in the area. She stated that on the other hand, there is very little that can be done about the natural phenomena.
Petrusi indicates that the drought means that fishing and hunting as a means of subsistence cannot be practiced properly. This causes major problems with regard to the food and water supply in parts of the hinterland. The people in the area have managed to sustain themselves naturally for decades, says the traditional authority. “It is not worth talking about. We as residents of the area are experiencing problems, but it is also very difficult for the animals.” He characterizes the developments in terms of climate change, illegal gold mining and logging as very unfair, given that the inhabitants of the interior have adhered to the traditions and have not damaged nature. Now that there is large-scale logging and gold mining, the community and flora and fauna in the area are experiencing the opposite of what they are used to, he emphasizes.
Serious threat
Due to the threats and destruction of the habitats, the animals are becoming derailed and are displaying different behavior, Petrusi believes. He gives the example of a ‘pingo’ that is hunted a lot. This animal searches for its food along the water by sometimes hitting the water and eliciting a reaction from animals on which it feeds. The entrepreneurs who engage in logging in the interior sometimes close off waterways to build bridges to reach another area. The pingo, or forest pig, which is in its original territory, reacts confusedly and moves to other areas. As a result, there are no more pingo’s in the areas for the community to feed on.
The same phenomena
Petrusi reveals that he spoke with fellow traditional authorities last week. All have observed more or less the same phenomena. In various villages, gold mining, logging and environmental pollution are taking place, which disrupts habitat, and this is being reported. The VSG chairman says that he is unable to hunt as he used to. He emphasizes that the disruption of the environment has the serious consequence that inhabitants of the hinterland cannot hunt.
Tigers
This phenomenon occurs in various areas such as Ladoeanie and Tjalie Kondre. Most villages from Daang and villages on the upper reaches of the Suriname River, such as Doewatra, also. In certain areas, tigers also come to the villages to look for food, as the prey they hunt is increasingly moving away due to environmental degradation. In the aforementioned villages, the local community can no longer move freely due to safety concerns. Some of the tigers have been shot by men in the villages to keep their people safe. Petrusi says that when tigers come closer to the villages, it becomes very dangerous. On the other hand, the fish, in addition to the wild animals, also move away. Tigers are protected animals in Suriname. This is established in the hunting law of 1954. However, people have no choice but to kill the animals to protect themselves and their loved ones.
According to Petrusi, the danger also lies in the fact that there is currently an extreme drought in the hinterland. As a result, many areas in the Saramaccan region and the Brokopondo reservoir have dried up. This makes fishing by villagers completely impossible. Petrusi emphasizes that he experienced a similar drought decades ago. According to the authority, the small rain showers of the past few days have not helped. “Fishing and hunting are officially in danger.”
During a press conference in November at his department, Minister Marciano Dasai of Spatial Planning and the Environment (ROM) indicated that the conservation of wildlife in Suriname now needs more attention than ever. He states that this issue received considerable attention during the COP-16 biodiversity conference held in Cali, Colombia in October. COP 16 refers to the United Nations meeting on biological diversity. The theme of this conference was: ‘Peace with nature’. The minister also emphasizes that it is important to restore biodiversity. According to him, this can be done by working together with partner countries.
Plans for the conservation of wild animals
A plan to conserve wild animals was also approved during the COP-16 conference. Dasai says that there is also a global crisis. He recalled that the entire world is currently involved in a climate crisis. Crucial points are central to this, namely the loss of biodiversity, pollution of air, water and land. Dasai says that all COP meetings held in 2024 deal with the same environmental issues that affect the entire world, and the calls to treat the environment with care.
Trade must stop
The trade in wild animals must also be tackled, according to the environment minister. He states that the local community must also be involved in combating the trade in wild animals. Another important development that occurs in other countries but should not occur in Suriname is deforestation that leads to desertification of areas, according to Dasai. “You don’t want desertification, because your biodiversity is going to be destroyed.” The minister emphasizes that vegetation and water sources are being affected. The executive said that at the recent COP16 meeting, representatives from various ministries were present, who participated in negotiations on wildlife conservation. A plan is ready, which has been approved and supported by the countries that participated in the COP conference. This plan will be finalized based on the findings of the negotiations. The ROM representatives participated in discussions on the issue, which should eventually lead to decisions to promote wildlife conservation.
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This story was originally published by Key News, with the support of the Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship, which is a joint venture between Climate Tracker and Open Society Foundations.
