Five CREMAs inaugurated at Ainyinase

Five CREMAs inaugurated at Ainyinase
November 12, 2009
He was inaugurating five Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA) to protect wildlife and forest resources around the Ankasa Conservation Area at Ainyinase in the Ellembele District.

Mr Kamel said the afforestation would initially be implemented in 100 districts and would offer employment to some 300 people.

Mr Kamel said trees would be planted during the programme and appealed to traditional rulers to release lands for the project.

Mr Kamel said the concept of communities managing their wildlife resources through CREMAs, is a significant demonstration of the Government's desire to devolve management authority to local communities, to manage their resources.

Mr Kamel urged theWildlife Division to continue to provide the appropriate support to the CREMAs, to enable them function effectively.

Mr Kamel said the CREMA is not a ploy by Government to annex more lands, but a strategy to collaborate with all stakeholders for the benefit of thecountry.

Mr Kamel thanked the European Commission for their interest and support for the implementation of various projects in the Wildlife Division.

Nana Nsiah, Executive Director of the Wildlife Division, said the Ankasa Conservation Area is a largely untouched evergreen rainforest and the country's most biologically diverse and internationally important protected area with more than 800 species of plants including some endemics ones.

Nana Nsiah said the Ankasa Resource Reserve with the Nini Suhien National Park is fringed by more than thirty local communities, and wildlife resources have been especially important for the livelihood of people.

Nana Nsiah said the CREMA concept is based on the establishment of areas where wildlife management is incorporated into existing land use.

GNA