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Minister of Local Government and Environment, the
Hon. Dean Peart has signed the Orders declaring the 2006 Game Bird
Hunting Season open and for a $1,000 increase in the cost of a
Hunter’s Licence. The 2006 season will run from Saturday, August 19
over six weekends until Sunday, September 24, 2006.
During the season, hunting is allowed only on
weekends: Saturdays, sunrise to 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to sunset and
on Sunday mornings from sunrise to 9:00 a.m. The bag limit of a total
of 20 birds at each shoot, except for the Baldpate of which no more
than 15 may be taken in any one shoot, remains. Only the following
four birds may be shot: the Pea Dove (Zenaida aurita), the
White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica), Bald-pate (Columba Leucocephala)
and Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura).
The increase in the cost of the Hunter’s Licence
from $7,000 to $8,000 will help to offset the costs associated with
increased monitoring and surveillance during and outside the season as
well as the annual bird population survey. The results of the survey
will be used to determine whether or not a season is declared each
year, as well as provide data on the status of the game birds
population.
The National Environment and Planning Agency
(NEPA) is reminding hunters that breaches of the Wild Life Protection
Act will not be tolerated. While in the field, each hunter must
ensure that he or she has in his or her possession, a valid Firearm’s
Licence and a Hunter’s Licence issued through NEPA. Hunters are also
being reminded that shooting is prohibited inside the Blue and John
Crow Mountains National Park, Game and Forests Reserves. Shooting is
also prohibited within 50 meters of any Game Reserve and no less than
40 metres from population centres.
The sale of Hunter’s Licence begins August 8,
2006. All persons who received a Hunter’s Licence for the 2005 Bird
Shooting Season must submit their Hunter’s Game Bird Shooting Report
Form to NEPA. A processing fee of $5000 applies in cases of late
submissions.
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