Nkwanta (V/R), Aug. 31, GNA - The Management Advisory Board (KyaMAB) of the Kyabobo National Park (KNP) in the Nkwanta District of the Volta Region has reminded farmers still inhabiting portions of the delineated part of the Park, that the December deadline still holds and must quit their occupation before then.

Nana Dawood Cheddre Brenai II, Vice Chairman of KyaMAB, who disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting including chiefs, community resource management committees, NGOs and the District Assembly at Nkwanta on Tuesday, called for strict compliance to agreements and collaborations to bring about the sanctity needed for the total development of the Park.

KNP is the country's newest protected area, covering an area of about 222 square kilometres, which is privileged to a trans-frontier conservation reserve with Fazao-Malfacassa National Park in the Republic of Togo.

It is being funded under a bilateral agreement between the Ghana and the Royal Netherlands governments with 3.2 million Euros and technical and logistical support from the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) in collaboration with the Wildlife Division, established in 2002. Nana Brenai assured that the promotion of economic activities for all fringe communities, especially in bee-keeping and fruit plantation were high on the development agenda, as a way of poverty alleviation strategies.

Mr Luri Bahian Kanton, Manager of KNP said the rationale was to engender community support for wildlife conservation among the local people and provided access to some of the resources in the protected areas to offset the opportunity cost and conflicts associated with conservation.

He urged the people to refrain from negative and illegal activities including tree felling, poaching and protect life and investment in the Park.

Mr Theo van de Slius, an official of SNV said the outfit was building the capacity of the community on biodiversity management and community mobilization in decision making towards the sustenance of the project. KyaMAB is exploring the opportunity of an outreach programmes for selected community members around the Park to Ankasa-Kakum National Park, Mole Park, Buabeng Fiema Monkey sanctuary as an eye-opener for community team building, protection and sustainability of forest resources.