A fast evaluation of the biological diversity of the high river basin of the Cuyuní river and its confluence in the Uey river, allowed to know at least, six species of new fish for science, as well as new species of aquatic insects, reptiles, plants and birds for the Venezuelan Guayana.

The study counted on the financial support of the auriferous company Gold Reserve and its branch in Venezuela, Breezes of the Cuyuní, jointly with the organization Conservation the Venezuela International (CI Venezuela), and with the technical and scientific collaboration of Foundation the Salle de Natural Ciencias, the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific researches (Ivic), University the International of Florida and Botanical Garden “Marie Selby” (the United States), Ascanio Birding Tours, Ornithological Collection Phelps, Institute of Tropical Zoology (Central University of Venezuela), Andígena Foundation, Institute of Natural Sciences (National University of Colombia) and the National Institute of Investigations of the Amazonia (Inpa).

The myth exists

“The Gilded one exists and one of its emblematic jewels is the river basin of the Cuyuní river”. They express thus it of joint form Arthur Rivero, president of Gold Auriferous Reserve-Company Brisas of the Cuyuní and Ana Liz Flowers, director of CI Venezuela, for those who the enormous wealth of this certifica river basin “in the natural resources that she contains”, which was demonstrated in the 1,100 species collected during the scientific expedition realised between the 18 and the 31 of January of 2008.

“The new registries for the Venezuelan Guayana include plants whose geographic distribution is related to tepuyanos atmospheres of median height in the Mountain range of Motto or the river basin of the Caroní river, nine species of fish for the river basin of the Cuyuní, a species of reptile and extensions of distribution of 11 species of birds. For Venezuela six species of fish, four species of aquatic invertebrates are reported like new registries. As new registries for science there are probably six species that are even under description”.

They explain that at the end of 2006 they initiated the conversations to evaluate the biological diversity (flora and fauna) of this region still unknown of the high river basin of the Cuyuní, “and to define mechanisms for his conservation, dice the high degree of threat that at the moment undergoes that area by the not planned mining activity”.

“It is as well as it arises the idea to explore and to present the river basin the river Uey, an affluent of the high river basin of the Cuyuní river, in excellent conditions of conservation, whose tremendous value in biodiversity was hidden for the world and it will be known from this publication”. The book, that compiles the results as far as flora, aquatic geochemistry of the aquatic ecosystems, contamination by mercury, macroinvertebrates (invertebrate perceivable at first), fish, amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals, will be presented/displayed next the 27 of November in Caracas.

Biographical interest

The study indicates that the river basin of the Cuyuní river “emphasizes to reunite great part of the guayaneses ecosystems and to lodge many of the endemic and unique elements of the biodiversity of South America”. It locates it in the Venezuelan Eastern Guayana, occupying an approximated surface of 50,000 kilometers squared, of which 38,000 correspond to Venezuela and the rest to Guyana.

Also, it details that the Cuyuní river crosses 750 kilometers in length from its heads located in the Mountainous area of Motto and the Venamo Hill, between the 1300 and 1500 meters of elevation. Their waters are clear and black, which confers to the region a great interest to him from the biogeographic point of view. “Nevertheless, in spite of this fact, its geopolitical importance for being an border zone and to present/display one of the more important mining operations of gold and diamonds in the country, the river basin has received little attention as far as the biological resources. To this a deep alteration of the surrounding forests, as well as of the quality of the water is added”.

The group of scientists who participated in the expedition agrees in indicating that the Uey river “is one of the main affluents in this section of the river basin, that still stays in practically pristine conditions”.

Recommendations to conserve

For Rivero and Flores the recommendations from this evaluation include:

1. To promote the establishment of a protected area in the average and high river basin of the Uey river.

2. To continue with the water monitoring and the evaluations of mercurial contamination and measures for the reduction of mercury emissions.

3. To promote activities of sustainable handling of the natural resources with the local population and its greater involvement with the subject of conservation of the river basin.

4. To implement a program of monitoring of biodiversity in the area, with the possible establishment of a biological station in the subriver basin of the Uey river, once a figure of defense of the area has settled down.

The representatives of Gold Reserve and Conservación the Venezuela International are convinced that the results of this RAP, represent “the beginning of a new form to watch the development for that area”. Next to his allies, they hope that this evaluation contributes to the conservation of the river basin of the Cuyuní river, and present/display these results so that the takers of decisions “can exert the necessary actions counting on scientific information he endorses that them”.

RAP

This fast technique to obtain biological data of a region, with the aim of advancing action of conservation, well-known like RAP (by its abbreviations in English), was patented by Conservation the International, and the same began in the year of 1990 with fast evaluations in the regions of Papua, New Guinea, South Africa and in the countries of Suramérica like Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Guyana, Surinam and Venezuela, being in this last one where the greater number of fast evaluations or RAP has been realised. As it explains CI, the fundamental objective of the RAP is “to determine the biological values and of conservation for continental aquatic ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems and marine ecosystems through fast inventories, and to transmit the information to environmental, political, conservacionistas, scientific the managers and international promotional agencies for the decision making”.