Description:

In Guyana, the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme has focused since 2017 on the Rupununi region in the south of the country. One of the outcomes of this programme is to ensure that policies and regulations enable the sustainable use of species that are resilient to hunting and fishing and to ensure the conservation of protected and threatened species.

To this end, the programme identified gaps and opportunities for the sustainable use of wildlife through the analysis of statutory and customary laws. The focus of this document is to report on customary rules and practices in relation to land use and planning, hunting, and fishing activities in Wapichan wiizi (Wapichan territory) in South and South Central Rupununi. Gaps and contradictions between customary and statutory systems are highlighted as well as opportunities related to the formal recognition of customary rules.

The information compiled in this document was extracted from publications and technical reports developed by the SWM Programme and other sources such as the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). Interviews with experts and local leaders were held to complement the information extracted from secondary sources.

The SWM Programme is an initiative of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). It is implemented through a partnership involving the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Cooperation Center for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), International Center for Forestry Research (CIFOR) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).