The Deputy Protected Area Manager of the Gola Forest Programme who is also incharge of operations Alusine Santigie Fofanah has disclosed that the major threat now on the Gola forest program is hunting.
He made this disclosure during their usual monthly planning meeting with forest guards held at the Gola forest main office at 164 Dama road in Kenema city. Alusine Fofanah says hunting which includes snaring (setting of traps), dogs and the use of fire arms (gun) are still going on within the Gola forest. He says despite the effort of the forest guards in patrolling the length and breadth of the gola forest yet still there are hunters within the Gola forest communities going on with their illegal activities. Fofanah says the forest guards during their patrols come across snares set within the gola forest, empty shells and live bullets within the Gola forest. He says recently two live bullets were found between Lalehun in the Guara chiefdom and Bayama in the Makpele chiefdom in the Gola North. Fofanah says as of now all but hunting is the only illegal activity that threatens the survival of key species in the Gola Forest, a problem exacerbated by cross border hunters from Liberia.
He encouraged the forest guards not to relent in their operations as their major duty is to protect the forest in the interest of all, adding the transformation of the Gola Forest Reserve into a National Park is on course. A draft Gazette to materialise the process has been presented to cabinet for approval. Fofanah says the process if approved by government will guarantee the sustainability of the conservation programme which he stated cannot be easily changed by a change of government.
By Saffa Moriba