Hunting Ban Stays in place

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Singh: Hunting ban to stay in place

ENVIRONMENT Minister Ganga Singh has described as “alarming” the initial results of Government’s National Wildlife Survey, an exercise to determine game mammal stocks following the hunting ban which went into effect in 2013.

Singh, speaking at the launch yesterday of the second National Sea Turtle Symposium at Hilton Trinidad, said incoming results have indicated, through low game numbers, a lack of respect for wildlife reserves, where hunting was traditionally prohibited year round.

The survey, a component of the National Restoration, Carbon Sequestration, Wildlife and Livelihoods Project (NRCSWLP), is funded by the Green Fund and managed by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).

Research and data collection is focused on five game mammals – lappe, deer, quenk, tattoo and agouti.

The University of the West Indies is responsible for the methodology of the project, which looked at Nariva, Trinity Hills, Southern Watershed, Central Range, Northern Range and Tobago.

A preliminary report, a combined effort between the UWI and the wildlife consultant on the project, has shown the alarming results, Singh said.

“Hunters have suggested that there are areas that were considered hunting sites and less hunted sites and suggested that areas not so identified should allow for a reference,” Singh said.

“The data analysis thus far shows no difference between the hunted sites and the reference sites. This may be indicating that hunting is ubiquitous and that there is no less hunted or ‘reference site’. That is to say all areas are hunted. The sanctuaries and reserves are being hunted; this tells us something about our society, our lack of enforcement and about our institutions that have responsibility for enforcement in the country.”

The preliminary figures indicate a decrease in wildlife species, Singh said, and as a result, the two-year moratorium on hunting will not be lifted.

The Minister said there were still many challenges in the enforcement of the ban, for which Government faced much backlash last year from the hunting community, including game hunters.

Singh said enforcement is key in ensuring the success of the ban and since the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division does not have the capacity to handle enforcement on its own, Government will continue to collaborate with the Water and Sewerage Authority’s estate police, private security contractors, Petrotrin in the Southern areas, and the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) officers for the Northern area.

“We are also introducing systemic change through the transition of the Forestry Division to a Forested and Protected Areas Management Authority that will be systemically different from a public sector department,” Singh said.

Story by: Kim Boodram

Story Created: Oct 28, 2014 at 8:21 PM ECT

Story Updated: Oct 28, 2014 at 8:21 PM ECT 

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Caiere Chase neither owns nor claims any rights to this news article.

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Hunters' Meeting 18/10/14 ???

Caiere Chase attended the hunters’ meeting held on Saturday 18^th October 2014 at the Preysal Recreation Ground as per the public notice given in the Daily Express newspaper on Friday 17 October 2014.

It was never made clear at the meeting (while I was there) as to which Hunters Association was sponsoring this event, so on that point I am in the dark.

As far as I could tell there was only one official speaker. I believe this event was the action of an independent hunter but on this I might be wrong.

Let me make it quite clear that Caiere Chase is not affiliated with this group nor do we condone the planned actions discussed at the meeting. 

Hunting Banned For Two Years

Minister in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources Ramona Ramdial said today the main purpose for the hunting ban was preservation.

By SUE-ANN-WAYOW sue-ann.wayow@trinidadexpress.com

Story Created: Sep 19, 2013 at 4:02 PM ECT

Story Updated: Sep 20, 2013 at 11:43 AM ECT 

Hunters, hang up your guns, and tie those dogs.

A two year moratorium on hunting was announced by the State
yesterday. The hunting season was due to open October 1.

Minister in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources Ramona Ramdial said today the main purpose for the hunting ban was preservation.

During consultations regarding a wildlife policy that was implemented earlier this year, Ramdial said several persons called for the moratorium. She said the ministry was getting statistics from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and other organisations showing the degeneration of the wildlife population.

Ramdial said: " Therefore the moratorium on hunting would be to audit and assess what we have and then a way to move forward based on the statistics that we have."

She said a UWI professor would be partnering with the ministry to look at the possibility of breeding the wildlife population in captivity.
Ramdial said the main challenge for the government during the moratorium would be illegal hunting.

"The challenges however is the illegal hunting aspect.That is something that will need to be monitored and enforced with a partnership with the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry Division and National Security also."

And the ministry was attempting to address concerns that hunters would have.

Ramdial said: "An education and public awareness campaign is about to start and we have been laising with the hunters association.We are listening to them and we are going to find a way to deal with it (issues)."

Last month president of the Hunters’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago Buddie Miller said hunters will resist a moratorium if it was unfairly and unreasonably applied.

The last time a two-year moratorium was imposed was in 1987-89 and resulted in large sections of the forests in Biche, Charuma, Cumaca, Ecclesville and Moruga being overtaken by marijuana cultivators, said Miller.

A two-year moratorium which was imposed in 1987-89 and resulted in large sections of the forests in Biche, Charuma, Cumaca, Ecclesville and Moruga being overtaken by marijuana cultivators, said Miller. Mohan Bholasingh, President of the South Eastern Hunters' Association said he was against the ban " 150 per cent."

He said research showed that moratoriums were more destructive to wildlife than beneficial.

***

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Cops Probe Shooting Death of Teen in Forest

Published: 

Monday, August 4, 2014

A friend of Kyle Thomas tends to Thunder and Queen, the dogs Thomas went in search of when he was shot dead on Saturday night. PHOTO: ABRAHAM DIAZ

       

Trinidad & Tobago Guardian Newspaper

By: Derek Achong

An 18-year-old boy who could not bear the thought of losing his prized hunting dogs ended up losing his own life after he was shot while searching a forested area in Santa Cruz for his four-legged friends. According to police reports, around 6 pm on Saturday, Kyle Thomas and his 16-year-old friend Anderson Baptiste were walking with his hunting dogs Queen and Thunder in a forested area off Santa Cruz Old Road in Santa Cruz. The dogs reportedly ventured off the path, forcing the teenagers to chase after them. 

Baptiste told police that upon reaching a densely-forested area he was separated from Thomas and he only began looking for him when he heard a gunshot in the distance. When his search proved futile, Baptiste made his way out of the forest and called the police. Officers from the North Eastern Division Task Force (NEDTF) led by Sgt Cornelius Samuel responded to the scene and accompanied Baptiste to the forested area to search for his friend. 

After several hours of searching, Thomas’s body was found. Thomas had a gunshot wound below his waist. The two dogs were eventually found and handed over to Thomas’ uncle who assisted him in raising them. Investigators initially believed that Thomas was shot by a trap gun used by illegal poachers but no weapon was found when police searched the blood-stained path used by a wounded Thomas before he collapsed. 

“By all indications it was not a trap gun. We are working on the theory that he stumbled on a marijuana plantation and was shot by a man guarding it,” a source close to the investigation said. No one was arrested up to late yesterday. Speaking with a news team from the T&T Guardian at his Assing Trace, Grand Curacaye Road, San Juan, home, Thomas’ aunt described the former student of San Juan North Secondary School as a avid hunter and outdoorsman. 

“He could go in the bush for days. That was a big part of his life,” his aunt, who asked to remain unidentified said. She said since Environment Minister Ganga Singh had instituted a two-year hunting ban in October, last year, her nephew would occasionally carry the dogs for long walks when they became restless. “He real like to take care of the dogs and they had loved him too,” Thomas’ aunt said. 

Thomas’ friend and fellow hunter, who was at the family’s home and only identified himself as Nathaniel, said the teenager was a loyal friend and skilled hunter. “Those dogs are A-class. That’s one of the few things a hunter willing to die for,” Nathaniel said. Thomas’ body was taken to the Forensic Science Centre in St James where an autopsy will be done today.

***

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No Lifting Ban On Hunting

Ganga Singh sounds warning:

Hunters have been told that there will be no lifting of the ban on hunting “in the foreseeable future”.

Minister of the Environment and Water Resources Ganga Singh yesterday sounded a warning to hunters that with the Christmas season fast approaching, there will be greater enforcement of the moratorium.

The two-year ban on hunting took effect from October 1 last year.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce at the Hyatt Regency (Trinidad) in Port of Spain yesterday, Singh 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.

He said it was for this reason the ban will not be lifted anytime soon.

He said estate police constables at several State companies including Petrotrin, the Chaguaramas Development Authority and the Water and Sewerage Authority have been ensuring the ban was adhered to in their areas.

He said he intends to ensure further enforcement by making estate police officers in State institutions honorary game wardens.

“We know that Christmas is coming and we intend to ensure there is greater compliance,” he said.

Singh said in addition to the two-year moratorium, and to address the “predatory culture in society”, the Office of the Attorney General was currently reviewing the penalties and fines in the Conservation of Wildlife Act in order to amend existing legislation.

“The current fines and penalty regime have done little to deter the illegal activities toward our wildlife resource,” he said.

Before the ban was put in place last year, Singh noted then that a total of 140,557 agouti, deer, lappe, wild hog, armadillo (tattoo), water fowl, alligator and other species were hunted over a three-year period.

Story by: Leah Sorias

Story Created: Sep 25, 2014 at 10:00 PM ECT

Story Updated: Sep 25, 2014 at 10:00 PM ECT 

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24 Vehicles Seized in Matura Forest

Let us hope this is a sign of things to come and the government is at last becoming serious about combating squatters and others destroying our forests.