A persistent slingshot-hunting culture and unregulated shooting practices are putting Jamaica’s native bird species at risk despite legal protections aimed at preserving them, terrestrial biologist Damion Whyte has warned.

Several species of Jamaican birds are listed under the Endangered Species Act, which aims to regulate and safeguard these vulnerable populations. Additionally, some are covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), ensuring that their trade across borders does not contribute to their extinction.

Under the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA), all native species are protected, making it illegal to hunt them. However, during the annual bird shooting season, typically from mid-August to September of each year, select species like the white-crowned pigeon and Zenaida doves are permitted to be hunted under specific exemptions issued by the Government.

Despite these protections, Whyte said illegal hunting continues to be a year-round issue, particularly the informal practice of slingshot hunting.

“People shoot birds outside of the bird shooting season, go and just shoot any bird that they see out there…If you go online, you have some gentlemen that have slingshots and you wouldn’t believe what a slingshot can do. I mean, I saw a guy shooting a bird out of the air with a slingshot and they are shooting anything that would fly. They just shoot, shoot, shoot. Even birds that are not on the legal list to shoot,” he shared.

Game birds listed under the WLPA include the long-tailed pea dove, white-winged dove, bald-pate, pea dove, blue-winged teal, and green-winged teal. Hunters must follow specific rules during the season, including obtaining the necessary licence, adhering to bird count limits, and avoiding protected game reserves.

However, Whyte pointed out that in some communities, the local tradition of slingshot hunting completely disregards shooting season regulations.

“Some people would tell you, ‘That’s how I grew up in the country. You get a slingshot and you go shoot a bird.’ But things change. Imagine you having a lot of people doing that and they are not discriminating, they just shooting it,” he said.

“Just check social media and you see these guys shoot species that you would never be allowed to shoot, and it does have an impact on the population and most times the powers that be cannot be there to monitor. It’s a community member who would have to do their own and say, ‘My youth, cool, don’t do that.’ You know?” he continued.

While it may seem like innocent fun, Whyte warned that slingshot hunting is illegal and violators could be prosecuted under the WLPA.

“It’s illegal to kill. The regulations are there,” he stressed.

The situation is further complicated by the illegal pet trade, according to Whyte. He told the Sunday Observer that the endangered yellow-billed parrot, the black-billed parrot, and the Jamaican parakeet (otherwise known as the olive-throated parakeet) are often kept as pets despite being protected by law.

He warned that it is illegal to capture, sell, and have them as pets without a permit, noting that some people even make soup with the meat.

“The majority of our birds are protected…That means the parrots, which are endemic, that a number of people have as pets, are totally illegal and they are protected, meaning you don’t keep them as pets, and some of the people who make soup with them, it’s totally illegal,” Whyte said.

“But you go nuff places and you see people have them as pets and you also now have people on social media showing you videos how they gum tree…Like there’s no consequences,” he continued.

The gumming technique involves using gum or sticky substances on branches to trap birds. However, this method is harmful to the animal — sometimes breaking their feet, damaging their feathers, or even resulting in their death while stuck.

Though he acknowledged that the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has been active in educating and monitoring people hunting birds with rifles, Whyte pointed out a serious gap in its reach.

“I believe that more needs to be done to educate the people, because some of the people who are out there doing it, whether we like it or not, they don’t know what they’re doing is wrong. On the other hand, if you are doing something wrong, don’t make the excuse say, ‘Bwoy, mi never know.’ So there’s a lot that needs to be done in terms of educating the people. Nobody’s reading the pamphlet where it says, ‘Don’t shoot the bird, but find creative ways,” Whyte explained.

People found in possession of the whole or part of a protected bird without an exemption certificate can be prosecuted under the Wild Life Protection Act. Anyone found guilty is liable to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months. This Act is currently being amended to increase penalties to up to $10 million for corporate bodies and up to $5 million for individuals in fines or up to five years in prison.

While he supports the idea of imposing higher fines for wildlife crimes, White stressed that fines alone are not enough.

“Before you even think about doing the fine, or you can put both of them, you need to educate, and sometimes when I say education, people think it’s just a boring thing, I mean the generation coming up needs to know about it. The generation now needs to know about it because any time we’re talking about anything with the environment, it not even reach prime time yet, like a proper advertisement that says these are the parrots that I have, if I have the parrots as pets for years, this is the process where I got a permit, and this is what I need.

He continued, “And enforcement…Check social media again, these guys have YouTube channels with what they’re doing and they’re not hiding. And some of them, when you reach out and tell them, ‘Bwoy, you know what you’re doing is not right,’ they will stop.

“But if you have the big fines and you still not catching the guys, then it’s a waste of time,” Whyte said.

Jamaica’s endemic crested quail-dove, found only in the Blue and John Crow Mountains, the Cockpit Country, and the Mount Diablo area of the country, is illegal to hunt. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

The black-billed parrot (Amazona agilis) is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

The Jamaican parakeet or the olive-throated parakeet is protected by law. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

The yellow-billed parrot (Amazona collaria) is the largest of the three endemic parrot species in Jamaica. (Photo: Gavin Jones)

WHYTE… majority of our birds are protected…That means the parrots, which are endemic, that a number of people have as pets, are totally illegal and they are protected… (Photo: Gavin Jones)