There is a possibility that the bounty for monkey hunting could be increased as Government officials enter discussions on how to bring a balance between the island’s biodiversity and the protection of the agriculture industry.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir said that over the past several years the farming community and even residents have complained about the negative impact of the Green Monkey.
He said his ministry and the Ministry of the Environment were discussing ways in which the island’s food security could be improved without terminating the species. He said that the notion of a higher bounty would not be ruled out during the stakeholder meetings with hunters and other players in the industry.
“The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for protecting the agriculture sector so where monkeys are impacting the sector that is where we will respond . . . Wherever possible I am going to go all out to protect the agriculture sector and if it means having to work with those known hunters who are in the system we would do whatever it takes to facilitate them,”he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture has been facilitating the culling of the monkey population since the 60’s/70’s and for more than 20 years, the bounty for turning in tails was $15 each. The ministry then disposes of the tails in an incinerator.
Weir said it was important for officials from both ministries to discuss a strategy to ensure the island was neither breaching international conventions nor putting the agriculture sector at risk.
When contacted, Minister of Environment Adrian Forde said the Green Monkey was one of the animals under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Barbados could not simply wipe the animal off the face of the planet.
He was responding to comments by the chief executive officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society James Paul, who,recently, made another call for a stronger culling programme as the primates were significantly hindering farmers from ramping up their production, which was hindering the production of cheaper local food.
“You can’t kill the entire population, they are a part of the ecosystem. And this is a conversation that Minister Weir and I are working out. You can’t take out all the male monkeys either, or the females will become more invasive and get more angry, and vice versa.
“These things have to be scientifically governed to avoid the creation of more problems in the ecosystem. Monkeys are the best seed dispersers in the world. They are able to disperse seeds to different habitats and that is how we maintain our forestry. I understand the farmers have problems so that is why Minister Weir and I are working to make sure the science is there,” he said.
Hunter Calvin Ifill, who is registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the monkey population could be brought under control if the bounty system was adjusted.
He suggested that the ministry go through the registry and identify the active hunters, which could be no more than 15, he said.
Noting that some parishes may be more heavily populated with monkeys than others, he said the ministry could also have concentrated areas where more than one hunter would comb for a period.
Ifill added that the current bounty was too low and did not realistically cover the cost of each hunt when fuel, shotgun maintenance, ammunition and other factors were considered.
He said hunters wanted a $25 bounty but they were willing to settle for $20. However, he said the ministry would have to be cautious and selective about who got the price increase.
The longtime hunter mostly known for his work in the northern part of the island, said that elite hunters, who culled at least 50 monkeys monthly on a consistent basis over the past few years, should be exclusive to the increase to prevent “new blood” from getting into the industry and potentially conducting themselves in a reckless manner.
He said monkey hunting was a serious profession, which required tactic, skill and a sound understanding of one’s environment and “every and anybody just because they have a shotgun licence” should not be considered as a hunter.
He said the ministry should also have an established training programme for people to become hunters in order to achieve the highest level of professionalism in the industry.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
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