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The Minister of Land and Environment Dean Peart
last Friday (August 19) announced a shortened Bird Shooting Season for
2005. The annual season will run from August 27 until September 25,
2005, five weekends instead of the traditional six and one week later
than usual. This shortened and delayed season is due to a later than
usual nesting season which has been attributed to the ravages of
Hurricane Ivan, recent droughts and bush fires.
Although there is evidence that the environment
has recovered from the damage, the National Environment and Planning
Agency (NEPA) has recommended a shortened and delayed season as a
precautionary measure. The Agency is therefore reminding hunters that
breaches of the Wild Life Protection Act will not be tolerated and
that hunting is allowed only on Weekends: Saturdays, sunrise to 9:00
a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to sunset, and on Sunday mornings from sunrise to
9:00 a.m.
Hunters are being advised that the bag limit
remains at a total of 20 birds at each shoot, except for the Baldpate
of which no more than 15 may be taken in any one shoot. Overshooting
is an offence under the Wild Life Protection Act. It is also illegal
to trap, or use a sling - shot to shoot birds without a permit under
the Act.
During this period, only the following four birds
may be shot: the Pea Dove (Zenaida aurita), the White-winged Dove (Zenaida
asiatica), Bald-pate (Columba Leucocephala) and Mourning Dove (Zenaida
macroura).
While in the field, each hunter must also ensure
that he or she has in his or her possession, a shot-gun licence and a
valid Bird Hunter’s Permit issued through NEPA. Hunters are also being
reminded that shooting is prohibited in the Blue and John Crow
Mountains National Park, inside or within 50 metres of a game reserve
and no less than 40 metres from population centres. |
