And it's conservation posts like these that help park rangers and BDF deter and catch Guatemalan poachers. Last night we told you about the 2 Guatemalan gold panners that were caught in the Ceibo Chico area of the Chiquibul. They were found with gold mining tools, a bag of weed and 6 live 16 gauge shotgun shells. They were charged with firearm offenses and the forest department is expected to charge both men for illegal entry. Now this arrest is one of many but it hasn't deterred these Guatemalan gold panners. As two are arrested, 2 more are probably planning to set up camp near by. Yesterday the Executive Director of Friends for Conservation and Development Rafael Manzanero discussed just how serious this threat is and of course how detrimental it is to the National Park.
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, FCD
"Gold panning has been ongoing for quite some years in fact there is another building like this in the zone which is in the volcanics and the southern part of the Chiquibul which is the Ceibo Chico conservation post. The idea of putting that one was basically also to contain the gold panners in that area since the last 3 years of active presence in the zone we still have not been able to contain that, gold panning continues to occur, Guatemalans have changed now their activities from daylight to nighttime and so it makes it even much more difficult to be able to contain the issue so what are we doing in the zone? We are also now changing strategies as best as possible to try to operate also at night and be able to go into first to monitor and to then be able to put an operation in place."
"Gold panning, cattle ranching and slash, milpa farming are the two main challenges we face right now in the Chiquibul, gold panning is one that is degrading the ecosystem, it is affecting the main head waters, there is sedimentation taking place there, the pollution is already kind of becoming much more at a higher level now in that zone."
"You have also heard over the last couple of weeks that we basically were bringing Guatemalans every two days by fours, by three's and so but Guatemalans still don't stop, they still continue. My feeling is that unless we change and unless we are much more abrupt and much more effective in our works down there to be able to contain it the Guatemalans will not stop until the gold is finished in that zone."
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