THA To Push For Wildlife Survey

A note will be taken to the Executive Council of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to approve approximately $5 million in funding for a Tobago wildlife survey.

The Secretary of the Division of Agriculture, Marine Affairs, Marketing and the Environment (DAMME), Godwin Adams says that although a national wildlife survey, in conjunction with other stakeholders, was launched earlier this year, the finances for that initiative have not yet reached Tobago.  

“There was a wildlife survey that we would have announced for Tobago, but that wildlife survey was to be done in cooperation with the EMA (Environmental Management Authority) and the EMA was given the mandate to have this survey done throughout Trinidad and Tobago. The funding for such an exercise did not meet out to Tobago. So, that survey was never started. However, that survey is so important to us in Tobago so that we can get a better idea of our game species in Tobago and their population. I want to assure you that that survey will go on. I am to take a note to the Executive Council to fund this much needed survey.” states Adams.

Although the Secretary could not provide a projected start time for the survey, he did disclose that it will take place over a three year period. Adams emphasised the importance of the island’s wildlife to all sectors of the economy saying, “I feel strongly that a wildlife survey is important to Tobago. A national survey is okay, but what happens in Tobago would be slightly different to what occurs in Trinidad.” He notes that empirical data is critical to the management of wildlife systems on the island.      

Further, the Division is making strides in an attempt to greater manage one of Tobago’s indigenous species, the land crab. “And with us speaking to wildlife, we have crab hunting. Crab hunting has been taken to a different level in Tobago and sometimes we have people purchasing spiders because those crabs are so small they need to grow a little bit more. Against that background, we at the Division will be taking on crab farming and in taking on the crab farming we will look at the best way possible to treat with our land crab,” explains Adams.

He acknowledges however, that this will not be an easy feat given the specific conditions needed for the species to thrive. Adams is calling on the public to join in on the crusade to protect the indigenous animal.

“It’s going to be a very challenging process, but I think that we can surmount those challenges by our crab hunters being very careful with the sizes of crab that they catch and sell to the public. We also want to make the public understand that they are stakeholders in this whole quest for prevention and protection, and preservation of the crab stock on the island because Tobago is known for its beautiful crab and dumpling.” says Adams.

Source: Tobago News.

Author: Mersha Ramsey

Date of publication: 19 April 2015.

LINK TO WEB SOURCE   

Caiere Chase does not claim any rights to this article, which is only reproduced here for news & archival purposes.

Agenda 21- The U.N. Police State Environmental Scam.

Second Phase of Wildlife Survey in the Southern Watershed Commenced 23/3/15

Posted on facebook  Sunday 22/03/15

LINK TO POST

How breeding the best to the best can be worse

by Carol Beuchat PhD

An interesting study was just published about the genetics of behavior in the Belgian Malinois (Cao et al 2014). This is a working breed used in some of the same service environments as the German Shepherd Dog (e.g., military, security, etc), so behavior is important to the breed's function. Malinois that perform well, with good drive and initiative for work, tend to exhibit a circling behavior when in confined spaces, which is a form of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Dogs that do not display the circling behavior, and those that have very high levels of circling behavior, don't perform as well. ....................

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE

‘Hunting ban to end this year’

Story Created: Mar 10, 2015 at 8:25 PM ECT

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 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 .  

HUNTERS PLEASED

Hunters throughout the country rejoiced on Monday night when Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that the two-year ban on hunting will be lifted in October. 

However, some questions still needed to be answered, said Buddie Miller, spokesperson for the Confederation of Hunters Association for Conservation  of Trinidad and Tobago.

Miller said: “There are still so many gaps that it is difficult to make an informed comment now. There are still so many unanswered questions because what she is saying is in conflict with what the minister (Ganga Singh) has been saying over and over that he is going to extend it for another two years and he is not sure if it will ever be reopened.” 

He added: “There is an election that is going to intervene with any plans or programmes or promises that are out there.”

But he said he felt elated because the ban was “ill-conceived”.

There were 14,000 hunters registered in the country, he said. 

Tahir Ali, public relations officer of the St Patrick’s Hunting Association said: “There were many letters sent to the Prime Minister concerning that and well I hope she understands because it is an election year. There were a lot of stickers and posters saying ‘No hunting, No vote’.  I think that all the hunters are happy now to hear that. I got a lot of calls this morning asking if I heard the news late night.” 

And he said the data collected by the Forestry Division may not be correct.

He said: After the hunting season, you have to return your permits and when you go to the registration office, the Forestry Department you are supposed to fill out a form and give a report as to what was your catch during the hunting season. But if four people go to hunt and they catch one agouti in the hunt, four people will put they caught an agouti. So it comes like if four agouti were caught. And that is that data they work with and they say the hunters are destroying the wildlife.” 

---Sue-Ann Wayow

***********************

Caiere Chase does not own any rights to the above news article.

All rights to this news article belongs to Trinidad Express Newspapers & Sue-Ann Wayow.

This news article is reproduced here for archival purposes only. 

LINK TO SOURCE OF ARTICLE  

CAIERE CHASE Editor's note: All TrinBago hunters beware, Kamla and Ganga playing dead to catch corbeaux alive.

Old Dogs Teach a New Lesson About Canine Origins

LINK TO ORIGINAL SOURCE ARTICLE

The Modern-Day Fairy Tale: The Myth of Reach and Drive

LINK TO ORIGINAL SOURCE ARTICLE