Friday Nov 15, 2024
Friday Nov 15, 2024
Tuesday, 21 November 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
In a press release titled ‘Yala sacrificed, once again, for local political gain’, the authors called on the Prime Minister to intervene in the chaos that had been caused by the untimely reopening of Yala, and of unrestrained visitation that if not controlled, would spell the demise of this most precious of national parks.
Previously, the Prime Minister, in recognition of the dangers facing the future integrity of Yala, and in realisation of the enormous revenue it generated for the country and the local communities, set up a special committee of suitably qualified professionals and wildlife enthusiasts to study and make recommendation on checks and controls that would ensure the continued existence of this natural treasure for the greater good of the country and of its people.
This committee came up with a comprehensive report that covered every aspect of the problems in Yala, and proposed short, medium and long-term strategies that, if implemented, could achieve the desired goal. The Prime Minister endorsed its implementation.
Interestingly, the first of its proposals was that: ‘Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) officials to be empowered to enforce regulations without political backlash’.
Two further proposals were that the park should be closed for a period to gain some respite from the hundreds of vehicles that entered it on other days, and that there be a gradual restriction imposed on the number of vehicles entering the park on a day.
All three conditions were breached hardly had they begun to be implemented! Scheduled to be closed for two months, at the behest of a powerful politician of the area, the Minister of Wildlife and Sustainable Development had ordered the park opened nine days early. In addition, the Minister instructed that no more than 250 vehicles be permitted to enter the park on a day. This was without previous reference to the DWC or to the Prime Minister’s Committee recommendations.
The Prime Minister’s Committee had, in its report, proposed a gradual restriction of vehicles, over a period of a couple of years, to permit the DWC to develop the mechanisms necessary to control entry and to allow time for all of the other stakeholders, jeep drivers and hotel owners, to adjust to this change. As such, with the Minister’s sudden decision, there was chaos – jeep drivers going on strike and the DWC frantically attempting to get the required logistics in place.
Once again, the Member of Parliament of the area imposed his will on the subject Minister and, within a few days, the ceiling was increased three times, being finally placed at 500 vehicles; 75 greater than the previous daily average of 425, when there were no restrictions on vehicles in place. The park was once again at the mercy of uncontrolled entry, with a DWC that had its powers seriously compromised in the interests of local politics.
At a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management, held on 15 November, the Prime Minister had berated the officers of the DWC present for not adhering to the recommendations of the Committee set up by him, and opening the park early. He also chastised them for increasing the number of vehicles permitted to enter to a figure well above the previous average. When the circumstances had been explained to him, he openly asked explanation from the politicians concerned as to why they had interfered with the administration of the DWC, and overturned the decisions made by the Committee, as endorsed by him. The Prime Minister immediately instructed the DWC to reduce the ceiling on the vehicles entering the Park to well below the present number and warned against any further changes being made without reference to him. In doing this, and however laudable his motives, it is regrettable that he did not adhere to the recommendations made by the committee appointed by him in their suggested methodology for addressing this problem.
The relevant Member of Parliament had warned that this decision could seriously impact the tourism in the area until the Minister for Tourism had pointed out that most tourists who visited Yala had complained about its overcrowding!
While lauding the Prime Minister for his brave leadership in this matter, particularly that of giving a clear message that Government bureaucrats, in this case the officers of the DWC, should be allowed to do their jobs without political interference, his decision will not be popular, and he should be mindful of the possible dangers ahead. If the Prime Minister and DWC remain resolved to follow the recommendations of the committee, the jeep drivers would eventually realise that it is to sustain their livelihoods that these restrictions and controls are necessary.
It is our fervent hope that the jeep drivers will support the ‘right’ decision and not become pawns in short term politics played out on the ground. We are reliably informed that the area politicians are already agitating the jeep drivers blaming everything on one individual of the Prime Minister’s Committee and on an Assistant Director of the DWC, for a mess they, the politicians, have created. In addition we are informed that members of the opposition from the area are taking advantage of the situation and have had a meeting with some of the jeep drivers associations promising to revert to the status quo if re- elected.
These series of events have clearly demonstrated how, over the years, the Yala National Park has become a bargaining tool for the local politicians of the area who have used it as a vehicle of advantage to further their own ambitions at the expense of the natural heritage of the people of this country, of the long-term prosperity of the local communities, and of the future generations of both.
As such, this decision of the Prime Minister is one of true Statesmanship – opting for the greater good of the nation, rather than choosing to sacrifice a national park, and principle, to serve the political ambitions of a few for whom there is only a today, and what can be made from it!
