KNOWN to be a well-loved sporting activity among Jamaica’s elite, game bird shooting is losing its lustre among some hunters who believe this year’s season should have been suspended, given the devastating impact the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July had on the species.

At least one bird hunter tells the Jamaica Observer that he has made the decision not to partake in the activity this season.

“For me, based on the impact the hurricane had in my area on feed trees for the birds, and the time during their breeding cycle it occurred, I made a decision to abstain from shooting this year. As much as I enjoy bird hunting, I like to engage in sustainable hunting and for me [personally], I don’t think the bird population can handle the pressures of hunting this year,” he told the Observer.

The hunter, who did not wish to be identified, said he hoped the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) had suspended the season, if only for the notable reduction in the bird population following the hurricane.

“The bird population count would have been down prior to the hurricane as far as I am aware. I am not sure if NEPA did another count after the hurricane but most of the young birds hatched would have been negatively impacted, but they are experts and custodians so I leave it up to them,” he said.

But NEPA, in response to Observer queries, said it is sticking by its decision to open the season based on its own in-depth evaluation. The season opened August 17 and runs for six weekends up to September 22.

“Each game bird shooting season is informed by statistical data crafted from field assessments, observations, and other forms of data gathering in the months preceding the season. Additionally, NEPA has a wealth of data, spanning over two decades from which to identify trends and predict outcomes. In this regard, the established protocols of conducting annual game bird surveys February to May each year to inform a possible hunting season; as well as the protocol to conduct a rapid assessment in the event the island is affected by an adverse weather condition before or during the hunting season, were duly followed and provided the agency with the tools to make an informed decision for the 2024 game bird shooting season,” NEPA said.

The agency said that while the passage of Hurricane Beryl has affected some aspects of the game birds’ population, the assessment of the species has shown a high level of resilience based on their ability to adapt to natural disasters.

“Additionally, the choice of these species for the season was based on their high reproductive rates. NEPA has established the peak nesting period and has accounted for any drastic changes due to a storm event,” the agency said.

“Overall, NEPA is confident that the decision made to go ahead with a full hunting season will not adversely affect the sustainability of game bird hunting,” the agency said.

Authnel Reid, another hunter who brought the matter to light in a letter to the Observer, said that based on his checks with stakeholders, the game bird population suffered significantly with the passage of Beryl.

“There is more than enough evidence and I cite credible sources that speak volumes why in the wake of Hurricane Beryl we should not have bird shooting this year,” he said.

He recalled a conversation he had with a fisherman in June who was optimistic about the game bird shooting season due to the number of birds laying eggs in a mangrove, with over 30 nests and baby birds. However, a day prior to Hurricane Beryl, the farmer lamented that all the baby birds and eggs in nests would not survive the hurricane.

Reid said that men who went fishing days after Hurricane Beryl told him that the nests they saw prior to the storm were gone.

They said nests and birds were blown away and they found many dead fledglings in the water. “Only one and two mad [confused] baldpates we see flying around”, he recalled them saying.

He said the sight the men described mirrors the image of what happened to the bird population along the south coast of Jamaica which was the worst hit by Beryl.

“I have seen a reduction of birds in the usual fly path flying in and out of the swamp,” he said.

But according to NEPA, based on further evaluations, after the hurricane most of the impact on the habitat of the game birds was confined to the mangroves and the first couple kilometres inland from the south coast.

“The central and northern parts of Jamaica, chiefly St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon and St Catherine were damaged; however, this had little impact on the bird habitats and the birds themselves. Field visits by technical officers show thousands of game birds moving and feeding in large flocks post-Hurricane Beryl,” the agency said.

However, Reid said that even with the bird-shooting season in full gear, many hunters, who are all “reluctant participants”, said they expected NEPA to suspend the season this year and they would have been fine with that decision.

“They all say this is the ‘worse open season’; they saw no birds in places they usually find them,” Reid said.

He says one hunter shared with him that “NEPA would not suspend bird shooting because bird shooting is a big money business”, citing the $25,000 per permit hundreds of hunters would buy. The hunter also pointed out that millions are spent buying ammunition.

Another hunter told the Observer that he believes NEPA is powerless to close the season because of who are involved in bird shooting, such as politicians and powerful businessmen.

“[Has] NEPA given up on its core value and slipped into the big money-making business? Is NEPA really an independent state agency? What data or source can NEPA cite to justify bird shooting this year 2024?” Reid queried.

NEPA told the Observer that while specific areas were damaged, it examined data on the percentage of hunters in those areas and what fraction of the total harvest they contributed and concluded that the noted negative impacts of Hurricane Beryl in that relatively small portion of the south coast did not significantly affect the total island populations of the four game birds’ species and hence does not warrant closure of the hunting season.

“Hunters are advised to choose different locations for shooting if they are unable to hunt in the traditional spaces due to changes to the environment post-hurricane,” NEPA said.

Environmentalist and wildlife rescuer Wendy Lee said she is also disappointed that NEPA did not suspend the season given the damage to the natural environment that Hurricane Beryl must have caused in the areas that were hardest hit.

She argued that even in the absence of scientific evidence of Beryl’s impact on wildlife, given the destruction of infrastructure, homes and crops, “it was clear that there must have been substantial damage to birds and habitat in many areas, particularly on the south side of the island”.

“It therefore seemed obvious to me that the bird-shooting season should be suspended or cancelled to allow time for the birds to recover. They must know that the effects of a hurricane on bird habitat persist long after the initial damage, as plants and insect populations on which the birds depend take time to recover. But no! On the morning of August 17, I heard gunshots in the distance and realised that the bird-shooting season had begun,” she said.

Lee argued that NEPA and the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) should have considered the fact that Hurricane Beryl arrived right at the beginning of the 2024 hurricane season, which has been predicted to be more active than normal.

“It makes no sense from the perspective of wildlife conservation to allow a shooting season under such adverse conditions. What, therefore, is the driving force behind the launching of the 2024 bird shooting season? When are the agencies with responsibility for protecting the environment actually going to do their job?” she enquired.

According to a 2010 Bird Conservation International journal article, entitled ‘The Effects of Hurricanes on Birds’, with special reference to Caribbean islands, the effects of the strong winds and heavy rains from hurricanes on animals and their shelter and food supplies may temporarily reduce populations or cause local extinctions.

Weighing in on the issue, BirdLife Jamaica (BLJ), the primary educational, advocacy and conservation group for birds on the island, told the Observer that while it is too early to expect any scientific studies of Hurricane Beryl’s impact on wildlife, from anecdotal observations only, it is concerned about the potential and actual impact of the storm on Jamaica’s birds and their habitats. The group said it is particularly concerned about bird populations in St Elizabeth, St Catherine, and Clarendon.

BlJ’s President Justin Saunders noted that at the most recent meeting of NEPA’s Game Birds Working Group on July 18, 2024, BLJ agreed with the recommendation that the season be cut short by one week as a precautionary measure.

“However, when this recommendation was taken to NEPA’s board, the decision was made not to make any changes to the season. BLJ expects that NEPA would have considered all the factors and consulted with several specialists before arriving at their decision,” he said.

BLJ said it is encouraging NEPA and other state agencies to carry out more research to determine the true impact of Hurricane Beryl on the birds and to review the data from this year’s hunting season to inform future decisions.

“BLJ recognises that while Jamaica is not likely to abolish the sport of bird hunting because of how many people enjoy and earn from it, we hope that a more significant portion of the revenue generated will be used directly in supporting more research, public education, enforcement, and environmental restoration projects,” Saunders said.

According to information from NEPA, among the requirements for hunting under the Wild Life Protection Act is a mandate to confine such activities to areas designated for shooting, and to refrain from hunting within game-bird reserves.

It said hunters are also forbidden to shoot within 40 yards of residential dwellings, and to adhere to the time restrictions granted for shooting. The season’s hunting sessions are from sunrise to 9:00 am and 2:30 pm to sunset on Saturdays, and from sunrise to 9:00 am on Sundays. It is also imperative that hunters adhere to the stipulated bag limit for the number of birds that they can shoot during each session.

NEPA also reminded that hunters also have to bear in mind that they can only shoot the following game birds: zenaida dove/pea dove; white-winged dove; white-crowned pigeon/baldpate; and mourning dove/long-tailed pea dove.

Bird hunting season opened August 17 and runs for six weekends up to September 22.