Guyana: wildlife

Guyana is amongst the top countries for the export of birds - parakeets, parrots, towa towa etc.- snakes, mammals and fish for aquarists. This is by far the most lucrative occupation for the Amerindians.
Even if catching a parakeet takes a whole day, the price far exceeds the wage of a day's work on a farm or collecting lianas.
The traditional activity of hunting, which assures a good source of protein, now takes place, hand in hand with the capture of live animals.

Ara Ararauna parrot

In order that this source of revenue should be maintained, Guyana signed the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) treaty in 1977.
Between 1993 and 1995 the practice was totally suspended in order to put into place a way of supervising this important market.

Thanks to these precautions, the biodiversity of Guyana, and the image of the Amerindian family with its tame parrot, has a chance of surviving.