The enforcement arm of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Thursday discovered the illegal smuggling of a number of birds in the North West District, Minister Raphael Trotman has disclosed.
The birds being allegedly smuggled were seven orange-winged parrots, seven red-shouldered macaws, two parrots and five parakeets.
“The Wildlife Division is busy and we have been able to halt the illegal transit of those birds …when we are in the season when they should be no trapping of birds,” he said.
Once there is satisfaction that the trapping was illegal as well as the transporting, charges will be filed under the regulations, he noted.
Later, he said that it is presumed that the birds were being smuggled to Georgetown and maybe out of the country. “It could mean that the persons thought that maybe with a heavy influx of foreigners coming home that they can perhaps bring a shipment down illegally…The vigilance of our officers should be commended here,” he said, while noting that it was the first such interception for the year. He did add that the ministry has been monitoring “strange activities elsewhere.”
