‘Lifting of 2-year hunting ban a mistake’

THE lifting of the two-year hunting ban at midnight on Wednesday was a big mistake, according to Stephen Broadbridge, a director of Papa Bois Conservation.

He said hunting of wild animals was a threat to eco-tourism and the animals being hunted were more beneficial alive than dead.

"It is a big mistake because there is no management system in place to manage any kind of hunting in Trinidad and Tobago. We don't have enough wardens. We don't have enough regulations in place and there is not enough regulating. I am against hunting altogether because I think it is not sustainable, especially in its present form, and I think that animals are more valuable to us in eco-tourism than they are to people who hunt. They are also more valuable to the eco-systems on a whole for the functions they play in maintaining the health of our environment. I think it is outrageous to actually slaughter them," Broadbridge said.

He said the forests were already being destroyed and animals should not have to dodge bullets in their habitats.

"Our proposal would be a total ban on hunting and my second proposal, if everybody refuses to ban it, regulate it and enforce the law."

He said endangered species could also be killed accidently in the hunting season.

“And while hunters complained that their livelihood was being threatened, the livelihood of tour guides and eco-tourism companies were also under threat if animals were being hunted,” said Broadbridge.

"There are many mammals and creatures in the forest that allow the forest to survive by regenerating plants. There is a balance in their nature, you remove anything from nature, you will have a cause and effect, anything you remove from the forest will somehow have an imbalance depending on how much you remove."

He added: “Scientists who did research recently found that the only mammal in our forests in healthy supply is the agouti. Everything else is in a very dangerous position. One of our top mammals is the ocelot. It regulates everything in the food chain and it keeps the population under control. The ocelot feeds on the agouti. You cannot protect the ocelot and take away its food source. We should not be going out there and taking an endangered species' food source to start off with."

• Published on Oct 1, 2015, 10:07 pm AST
• By:Sue-Ann Wayow
  At: www.trinidadexpress.com

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