The Kanuku Mountains in Region Nine and Shell Beach in Region One have been added to Guyana’s list of protected areas by President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The announcement was made on Thursday by government spokesman Dr. Roger Luncheon at a news conference at the Office of the President.

“Allied with the enactment of protected areas legislation the president has approved the designation of the Kanuku Mountains area in Region Nine and the Shell Beach area in the North West District, Region One as protected areas,” Dr. Luncheon said.

The two now join the Kaieteur National Park, the Iwokrama Forest Centre and the Konashen District as legally protected areas. 

According to the Guyana Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism (CHM), the Kanukus is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in Guyana with habitats ranging from savannah, gallery forests and semi-deciduous forests in the lowlands to lowland and montane evergreen forests.

It is also home to the Harpy Eagle and the Arapaima and its healthy populations of species which are threatened elsewhere in the world have boosted its importance.

The roughly 140 kilometres of Shell Beach is the nesting ground for four of the world’s eight sea turtle species and also falls under a non-governmental conservation programme. 

The Protected Areas Bill was passed in July and provides for the establishment of a Protected Areas Commission which will be responsible for implementing the provisions of the Act.  Local administrative bodies in the protected areas will be responsible for executing the tasks set by the central body.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature defines a protected area as "a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values."