The wildlife population in SVG has grown.
The moratorium, which was implemented to protect St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ wildlife population when the La Soufriere volcano erupted in 2021, has contributed to the growth and expansion of the species.
Bradford Letham, the compliance and enforcement officer for the SVG Forestry Department, said they have been conducting monitoring with the hunters, and many of them are pleased with the size, the amount, and the ease of locating our species.
“We are asking in the future that hunters use their discretion.” They do not need to take more than they can consume. We also know that some are engaged for livelihood opportunities. However, we must leave enough for future generations,” he said.
Letham said laws are in place to be able to implement a quota system and a licensing system to help better control the population of the species.
“These are things that the department is looking into because overhunting can become a problem that jeopardizes the local population of wildlife species here in Saint Vincent,” Letham said.
The moratorium extended from October 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022, for reptiles and mammals, and from October 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022, for birds.
The Forestry Department said in September 2022 that the explosive eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in 2021 had a devastating impact on the forest in the northern one-third of the island.
