TRINIDAD’S HUNTERS HAPPY THAT THE BAN ON IGUANA WILL BE LIFTED AND BACK ON THEIR PLATES FOR CHRISTMAS

Hunting ban to be lifted in October

THE country’s wildlife will be back on the menu before Christmas.
In October, the two year ban on hunting will be lifted, a relief to hunters who were forced to hang up their guns and tie their dogs for that period.

The announcement was made on the political platform on Monday night by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar during a meeting at the Kanhai Presbyterian Primary School, Barrackpore.
In 2013, the hunting moratorium was implemented for a period of two years, as a method of preserving wildlife.

Persad-Bissessar said: ” In consultation with Minister Ganga Singh (Minister of the Environment and Water Resources), I am happy to announce that it is our intention that hunting will be reintroduced at the end of the moratorium in accordance with the data and findings. All stakeholders will be advised later this year about the reintroduction.”
She said the survey conducted during the ban was the first of its kind in the country but was needed to be done “to collect data that would allow for a better understanding of the state of our wildlife resources. ”

Last year September, Singh said Government had no intention to lift the ban ” in the foreseeable future.” He said a preliminary report of a survey aimed at determining the status of the country’s wildlife population showed an “alarming” lack of wildlife in protected areas and game sanctuaries and it was for that reason the ban was not going to be lifted anytime soon.

Persad-Bissessar said the survey was “designed to ascertain baseline data on game mammals in Trinidad and Tobago and with subsequent surveys, provide the basis for monitoring trends in population levels through trained community persons and retraining local hunters to collect data on species and their habitat. ”

The selected areas that were affected were Nariva, Trinity Hills, Southern Watershed, Central Range, Northern Range and Main Ridge Tobago. Persad-Bissessar said: “The University of the West Indies (UWI) is responsible for the project methodology which was developed to ensure that it is scientifically valid. The survey focused on the five game mammals however, all wildlife observed were recorded during the surveys. ”
She said 27 groups were consulted inclusive of South East Hunters Association, Mayaro Mafeking Hunters Association, South Eastern Hunters Association, Confederation of Hunters of Trinidad and Tobago and St. Patrick Hunters Group.
When the ban was first implemented, many hunters protested against the action. Minister in the Ministry of Water and the Environment Ramona Ramdial said the main purpose was preservation of the wild animals and the main challenge would have been illegal hunting. The last time a two year moratorium was implemented was from 1987-1989 .