“Skalians are active on the Marowijne River again,” De Nationale Assemblée (Suriname’s parliament) member Genevievre Jordan said on Tuesday in parliament. Jordan said that the traditional authority of the Pamaka area has reported activities by skalians on the Marowijne River. “The traditional authority is asking for urgent attention.” Jordan demanded that the competent authorities act as soon as possible and remove the skalians.
Minister David Abiamofo of Natuurlijke Hulpbronnen (Natural Resources) was unaware that skalians are still active on the Marowijne River. He asked Jordan for more information so that the competent authorities can take action. The minister said that a policy has been introduced under which skalians are no longer permitted on rivers. “We no longer tolerate it.”
Firm action has been taken in recent years and of the more than 20 skalians, only three or four now remain. According to him, it was very difficult to communicate with the owners of the skalians, and at one point the ministry had no other choice than to involve the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecution Service). “The OM acts in its own way and the skalians have been destroyed.”
So there are no longer any skalians active on the rivers, and the ministry continues to closely monitor the situation. He did acknowledge that there are regulated skalian activities on the reservoir, but this takes place in accordance with an orderly system.
