Socio-economic and cultural aspects of hunting
We frequently encounter stories in the newspapers about citizens being arrested and charged for hunting offences. One such story is an account of two farmers and a labourer being arrested for the possession of a monkey carcass in Biche, April 2014. Another incident was reported in October 2013 whereby game wardens caught a Chaguanas man with 18 carcasses of the Scarlet Ibis, the national bird, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
A third account revealed that during the Christmas season of 2014 (as reported by the Trinidad Guardian) conservationists, environmentalists and game wardens were taken aback over the festive season after photos of a woman kissing the decapitated head of an iguana and a man with the reptile’s head partially in his open mouth surfaced on Facebook.
It appears that game wardens are constantly challenged to prevent poachers and out-of-season hunting. Hunting is both a livelihood and sport activity in T&T, thus the infamous term “wild meat” has almost become a household name. However, this activity requires adequate regulation to ensure the survival of wildlife populations whilst facilitating the economic and social importance of this “ritual.”
Furthermore, social media has undoubtedly fuelled a national call for strong enforcement of wildlife protection legislation. Many users share pictures of indiscriminate citizens posing with deceased wild animals as a means of expressing outrage over the act of hunting, or as a means of calling on enforcement officials to apprehend said people.
The EMA, in understanding the delicate balance between socio-economic activities and wildlife resource management, included stakeholder components in its Species Research and Data Capture Programme to better understand and engage the hunting community. Key stakeholders such as hunters and community members will be engaged through consultations in an attempt to collect data on their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (KAP) regarding hunting.
Based on this information, an analysis into the socio-economic and cultural aspects will be conducted which will include an examination of alternative livelihoods. This aspect of the project aims to ensure that these people have alternative opportunities for gaining income which would also minimise illegal hunting during the proposed moratorium and reduce the likelihood of a black market for wild meat.
Enforcement
To provide additional support to the game wardens tasked with protecting wildlife species, the EMA is establishing an Environmental Police Post at the Valencia Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. This post will allow for effective patrols of this area, which borders an important ecosystem—the Matura National Park, an Environmentally Sensitive Area.
This centre will facilitate a 24-hour presence of environmental police, with people in the community being trained and made environmental officers to assist in monitoring and enforcement. This will allow for further community capacity building and livelihood development.
The EMA’s increased police surveillance is accompanied by an increase in penalties and fines for hunting offences intended to deter citizens from contravening wildlife regulations. The fines have been increased as per the following:
• Hunting any animal in a game sanctuary: from $1,000 and three months’ imprisonment to $100,000 and one year in jail
• Taking a dog into a game sanctuary for hunting: from $1,000 and three months’ imprisonment to $100,000 and one year imprisonment
• Hunting a protected animal without a special licence from the chief game warden: from $1,000 and three months’ imprisonment to $50,000 for each animal
• Hunting in the closed season, without a special game licence and not under the special conditions to exercise dogs in lands other than the forest reserve and game sanctuaries: from $2,000 and six months’ imprisonment to $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment
Whilst the initiatives outlined in both articles intend to transform the attitudes and practices of wildlife management in T&T, education and awareness remain key tools to conserving our vulnerable species. The EMA’s public education mandate has and continues to serve as a critical role in addressing this issue with increased partnerships with community members and non-governmental based organisations over the years, resulting in greater mutual understanding and more efficient channels for addressing wildlife and other environmental matters.