Bird-shooting season opens

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has warned hunters that it would be adopting a zero-tolerance approach to breaches of the regulations under the Wild Life and Protection Act.

Manager of public education and corporate communications at NEPA, Natalee Fearon, urged all hunters who would be taking part in this year's bird season, which starts today, to observe all regulations and guidelines set out.

"There should be no shooting in or within game and forest reserves," she said, adding that recently, the agency had been having issues with persons hunting within the Amity Hall and Black River Lower Morass game reserve areas.

Fearon urged all hunters to desist from such a practice, saying that there were 19 reserve areas across the island.

Additionally, the public education and corporate communication manager said hunters should be reminded that the heads of birds must be retained for inspection by authorised personnel. This replaces the provision of retaining the feathers on one wing for inspection.

Birds that may be hunted include the zenaida dove, the white-winged dove, the mourning dove and the white crowned pigeon.

The set bag limit for each shooting session is 20 birds, of which there can be no more than 15 white crowned pigeons.