THE EDITOR, Sir:
PERCHANCE, I read with a great degree of interest an article in your Sunday Gleaner dated September 7, 2001, on a Game Bird Survey which is to be undertaken by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA). My concerns are primarily centred on whether NEPA is heading in the right direction.
The purpose of this survey, according to the article, is to determine the impact of birdshooting on the bird population. I can assure you that if the results are negative (meaning the bird population in question is too low) then sterner measures will be taken but bird shooting will be allowed. If positive, then NEPA might even allow more than 20 birds per shoot.
Has NEPA ever considered the value of these and other birds in the light of one of our natural resources? I fail to see how birds which are a valuable and beautiful component of our environment do not fall into the same category and importance as our beaches, trees and water, which I hope receive full protection. As such I would hope that all birdshooting would be banned.
Given NEPA's current goals I am in doubt whether the means they use to control and monitor the situation are at all workable.
If, as it is said that each bird lays two eggs each time, nesting twice per year and 20 birds are allowed per shoot it would take five birds laying to satisfy the barbaric desire of some affluent bird hunter.
Consider the following:
Not all of these five birds will lay two eggs
Not all the eggs will be hatched and the birds reach a huntable status
Some of these five parent birds might fall prey to a hunter's gun
Natural catastrophes will destroy many birds
Turning to their findings that 97 per cent of the birds being shot are juveniles, it gives extreme credit to the hunters to be able to determine before they pull the trigger whether the bird is a juvenile or not.
If it is accidental that most of the birds being shot are juveniles then the outcome could in the future prove to be the opposite and therefore such statistics are likely to be unreliable, but of course it soothes the concerned citizen to know that things are under control.
Secondly, there is no adequate staff to monitor all of the birdhunters for all the shoots. What we might be getting are spot checks.
Most would agree that these different hunters are not shooting these birds for food (I hope someone doesn't prove me wrong).
If on the other hand those hunters are pursuing this pastime for fun then I have to caution you that most of my colleagues here (expatriates as you call them) do not find any humour in killing harmless birds which enhance the beauty of our country. It appears to me that Jamaica has not yet shed the English colonial pastime of the 'fox hunt' and as such they are slaves to the past.
First NEPA must determine whether the birds in question, and other birds, are an extremely valuable resource to our country. If the answer is yes, then ban all birdshooting, affluent bird hunters could maybe find more fun hunting criminals or spend their time birdwatching.
If NEPA still decides that bird hunting should be an essential part of Jamaican society, then all Jamaicans should be prepared to see one of their natural resources depleted before their eyes all in the name of tradition.
May I suggest that a moratorium on birdshooting should accompany their game survey, not only to give the birds a chance to multiply but to give their survey more credibility.
A better and more beautiful Jamaica will certainly depend on how well our institutions manage their natural resources and their problems.
I am, etc.,
JACK YOUNG
Willowdale, Ontario
Canada
