You may be just itching to get out into the fields to shoot birds, but if you don't wait until the season is officially declared, you may land yourself in prison.
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) says that the season should be declared open sometime this week, but the agency has received reports of shooting already taking place.
A representative of NEPA told The Gleaner yesterday that the agency has started to monitor the areas where illegal shooting is reportedly taking place. She warned that anyone caught could face up to 12 months in prison and up to $100,000 in fines.
The declaration of the season has been delayed because population studies were being done on the birds. The NEPA representative said that these studies were of even greater significance this year because of the hurricanes that affected the island last year.
