Tougher measures are in the pipeline for citizens who fail to adhere to laws pertaining to the indiscriminate exporting of the country’s wildlife.
This announcement came after an incident on Sunday June 30, involving a Dominican, bound for one of the French territories who was intercepted at the Roseau Ferry Terminal with a large quantity of frozen crayfish contained in a suitcase.
The national was allowed to travel but without the crayfish.
“Because of a mishap in the communication, she was allowed to travel. She could count her blessings or else she would have been arrested and brought before a court of law on Monday.” Assistant Forestry Officer Ronald Charles said during a press conference on Tuesday.
According to Charles, talks have already begun with cabinet to have the laws, fines and penalties revised.
‘Soon from now we will have stiffer penalties …the decision has been taken. The matter will go to the court or to the parliament …and the parliament will enact new penalties for those fines and I can tell you they are tough…I am unable to disclose it now but once they get unto the books they will be tougher, tougher than what we have today,” he stated.
Charles also made a plea to the Hucksters Association not to be blinded by the larger currencies in exchange for their country’s resources.
‘I want to speak to the Hucksters directly …they have to come in for some lashing as it were …the huskers are not doing Dominica a good service in that respect. They are led by the power of the Euro in the French islands and they seem to care two hoots about what is happening to Dominica’s wildlife resources”.
He said they are beginning to get weary of what appears to be a “growing incident of people importing wildlife from Dominica going out to the French islands in particular, with our wild life resources.
“We are concerned. We believe that our wildlife resources have not yet reached that state because of this population where we can export wildlife in any quantities. And whilst we allow it, the law provides for export of wildlife but administratively, we have taken a decision to allow small quantities to go out if you are travelling”.
Director of the Forestry and Wildlife Division Minchinton Burton said the main reason for revisng the legislation is to heighten awareness and to preserve our wildlife for future generations.
“The reason that we are doing that is not to punish anybody, not to prevent people from enjoying the resources, on the contrary (it is) to be able to allow future generations of Dominica for a very long time to be able to enjoy that,” he stated.
we need a responsible governance an agriculture friendly administration.then ever family can have the chance to build Dominica as was done in our recent history
What happened to all that crayfish?
I saved some; have not yet made any but I will.
Would you believe I saw a crayfish recipe on a US recipe Website. I think it originated from the US South as New Orleans. Louisiana, New Orleans has a concentration of black Americans. Of course, the climate is a tropical one.
They have some healthy recipes, using West Indian/Caribbean foods, even sweet potatoes, okra and okra soup. Those look tasty and are mouth-watering
pls people
i know them fellars at the ferry terminal cook up a jot with some dumplins, damn i wish i was there
Get informed. The exhibit is with the Forestry Division
I once encountered two chinese two at scotts head. They had scuba tanks and spearguns. when I questioned them what they were doing they said they were fishing for tuna! It was lobster they were fishing for with scuba gear, I knew that this is illegal everywhere in the Carribean not just D/ca and I told them I was calling the authorities..they disaapeared right away.
Next time take their picture as witness for the judge.
What about restaurants selling Boa and Iguanas? Lobsters with eggs?
IF you have credible information do the right thing. Call forestry and give names for an investigation to be launched.
Good idea and
they should put stiffer laws for buggering too
the country tight and people cannot eat concrete, all you want to put stiffer measures on free food from God, are you guys freaking serious. Chupes.
Wildlife resources are like a bank account. If you withdraw all you will get bankrupt.Go ask the french what happen to there resources? The animals need time to reproduce.You will make a bad manager. Get information
I will not export it but if i’m hungry n have no money to buy food i will not steal but i will eat what God put there for me. If its to small or on its way to have young ones i will leave it but if its big enough i will not leave it to die of old age.
HHMMMm, I wonder what happened to the crayfish that was confiscated…..
Is it the exporting of wlld life that is the issue, or hunting it out of season?
Admin…fix that-..He said they are beginning to get weary of what appears to be a “growing incident of people importing wildlife from Dominica going out to the French islands in particular, with our wild life resources. Should it be importing or exporting?
Exporting. We all make these mistakes.
They was thinking about future generation when they ,made us come from under british Rule?? All now so I would be a brit.
Dominica will always be dominica the mentallity of dominicans must change. Starting with government down to the common man.don’t have one rule for the Chinese and arabs and another for the local people.Dominicans will push people away from the country and nobody will be interested and Dominica the only people that suffer is the locals
I never knew that your luggage would be searched when you are leaving the country, I travel frequently but have never experienced being searched before leaving, only when I get to customs at my destination.
Wow
It is standard procedure everywhere. If the authorities have information about you you will be searched. By the way if you a airborne the plane will be asked to land. In this case the coast guard should be dispatched to bring the boat back to port and arrest the lady.
People like the crayfish, and other stuff why not create some sort of eco friendly way to protect our resources while supplementing a market. Using one of our “365” rivers as some sort of crayfish farm… oh wait that would create employment,, oh wait that would be too easy… nvm. Put fines so the price of crayfish can go up on the black market making it even more lucrative.
So it is ok for the Chinese to come all the way in Taberie and the Forestry people caught them and did nothing and someone has 2 pounds of crayfish has to pay $400, locked up in a cell handcuffed. Anyway look like we are prisoners in our own country. What one man get jailed for another man is a king when he does it. God be with us all. Double standard law enforcers.
get information. The matter is in the hands of the police
I do not disagree with the enforcment of our laws vis a vis the wildlife act. But what proof did they have that the person caught the crayfish in the off season? Just asking…..I am sorry but If I am traveling with frozen crayfish no man jack arresting me and if they do they would have a pretty hard time proving that I caught the crayfish after the season was closed……..Just saying
Met yo, think again. Go to the air or sea port with your crayfish or any wildlife attempting to leave Dominica, then you can argue your case afterwards. Just try it.
Buy your ticket and I giving you crayfish. Let me see how much you man.
Ya so wen is Dominicans d authorities taking action fast but wat about those Chinese dat killing everything in the river with there chemical……no word on dat situation….wen d police had hold dem la plaine wit how many bags….wat happened 2 dat
the law officers taking it from u and what u think they gona do with it? take it to their home too cook
grow up fool, that is why tazzy will had to get mad on allu, allu tonge to dirty
I agree to this article our resources must be preserved. However, I’m concerned about the Chinese who seem to be enjoying and benefiting more from Dominica’s resources than the natives themselves.
Included in the laws should be stiffer penalties for misuse or excessive use (if there is such a term)of Dominica’s resources in Dominica.
i understand where the forestry comming from but we must also pay close attention to the chines caues they hunt and they are not caught if is not people the see them what the forest guards doing common lets be fear
The next time allu see them call forestry at 2665852
yeah yeah….caught with a LARGE quantity of frozen crayfish… The NATIONAL was ALLOWED to TRAVEL but withought the crayfish….hmmmmmm interesting story…..I guess the others who were caught in the past, with very little quantity were not really nationals but kind of national like ….so there were arrested….treated as a prisoner ..locked up in a jail cell…taken to court the very next morning…hand cuffed in a little bus like a big prisoner ….charged 400$ forthwith or 3 months prison time…Maybe it was just a surname thing man…..We still love you Dominica
What are they going to do with those crayfish, are they going to burry them , burn them ,use it themselves or donate them to some institution?
Great first move its long time coming some of us need to feel the full force of the Law brought upon us, especially when it comes to the blatant disregard of our own Laws. Dominica is quickly becoming a country where some persons feel they`re too big {GROW BOUG”} type of mentality and they can do what ever they feel like, whenever they feel like and win, loose, or draw, they could care less. From top to bottom, who do not want to listen will have to feel, therefore, in today`s society the people we elect to run our country`s affairs have to carry the “NUTS” to enact Laws with ‘teeth’for we are a country of Laws and Law and order must be maintained!!!!
Why was the person allowed to travel. Don’t the people at the port know the laws of the country?
Great question.the Port Security who did the interception should know that the police immigration has the sme powers of the Forestry Officer to arrest and charge any offender of the wildlife Act in Dominica. Next time we go see.
Do you all have any idea of the amount of these Crustacean and other aquatic life which were destroyed in the Belfast river, due to that Rum, Oil and soap factories owned by Nassief and other “BIG NAME” share holders like Ms. Charles, Roll and the like? Well, the “wild Life” law was in effect then, but no penalty, fine or warning was issued to these wildlife killers. The buyers should also pay a fine for buying meat from poachers. Hotels in Dominica are accustom of buying shrimps from the local fisher/poachermen – it would be nice to see Fort Young Hotel get a fine for selling shrimps bought from a poacher. “That would be the day.” That will never happen. All such penalties are for the “small little people.”
Also, the diminishing and extinction of these river creatures are mainly due to the havoc the Dominica “Businessmen” are doing, by breaking down hills and mountains, which causes the “rivers” (creeks) to dry-up at a rapid pace. We are not all fools nuh!! most of us know what’s causing our wildlife to go extinct. Why do you think that all our rivers have dried up? they only come to life during a heavy rain-fall.
Now Frabo, tell me, if I’m a farmer, I grow my shrimps, what are u expecting me to do with the excess, shouldn’t I sell to the hotels where I will beable to obtain a lucrative price?
We have no rivers producing shrimps in DA, the farmers grow their own shrimps, some times they are assisted by govt.
So true, no more rivers.
What foolishness! It is not a question of exportation what ever the quantity. Before you restrict export you should first control the indiscriminate hunting of wildlife during the closed season. There should be a no tolerance policy towards anyone who breaks the law especially those of a certain foreign origin.
***ABUSE AND LOSE IT***
That’s very true. We all enjoy a good crayfish but we must NOT abuse it in ways like this.
If we abuse our wildlife today we shall lose it for the future!!
Let’s all be responsible for our country’s well being!
-Thanks
yea but this law should be for the chinese too
IT is also illegal to catch wildlife carrying eggs externally.
I wish the same kind of ‘legislative’ attention could be given to wounding, battery and murder.
support you guys these hucksters are greedy and stupid,they are all about money,when is see,i will report them.
yea, and when you see the chinese using chemicals you shut your nmouth
i hope all u charge those chinese that was fishing in the river that die too
I dislike the ugly prejudice towards the Chinese
I like many Dominicans who live overseas know the problems of living in a foreign land.
A lot of the people who live on the island
are very ungreatful, and they should be left alone so they could return to the dark ages
where they belong using the Prime minister
as a whipping boy for their failures.
Ya, they will charge “those that die too”!! Sakway sot
i can’t believe that people agree with this blatantly racist, idiotic comment.
why not charge the dead man! damn right we will…after all – he’s Chinsese.
Lord help you Dominicans
check the portsmouth and colihaut police station
For what?
OK this deals with the export of it. But my real concern is the hunting of it. So may times I hear people speaking of what they just catch, and what traps they just layed and which iguana they just hunt
. Forestry needs to work with village coucils and community groups. Something needs to be done on the ground about off-season hunting. My great great grandchildren will not be able to enjoy what we have now.
Most likely your great great grandchildren won’t care one way or the other. They’ll be too busy minding people business on FB and playing Xbox and PS3.
so what penalties if any were handed down on the chinese who the forestry people caught with the bags of crayfish. “double standard”
tabaywi river laplaine to be exact!!
and using chemicals to be exact
The matter still pending. the Chinese were not found fishing, nor were they found in possession of any river fish or fishing gear/equipment for that matter. They were suspected of lacing the river with a chemical substance that stunned the fish. A box withth eresidues of red powdery substance was found nearby. The writing on the box was in Chinese and so the ordinary Forestry personnel in La Plaine needed assistance to determine what was in the box and if what was in the box had the capacity to stun river fish etc. etc. etc. You understand? ES OU COPAN?. The police is assisting with the investigations and the matter is not over with as yet. It is not a question of “big name” vs “small name”. the law enforcement personnel and supervisor have no face when come to these things.
The Chinese are Skeritt’s people. “NO CHARGE.”
this is not bef,this is very true,i am in a position to buy zildlife at any time and on many occations people have offered me crayfish,crabs,crapuad,turtel ect and mith some during the season i will buy and others i will always say no,not because of it been illegal because i know the police are not interested in this at all and most of them would eat any wild meat at any time and not even give it a second thought,i am not blaming them it is a matter of sensitivity and education but the point i am making is that every time i refuse to buy because of it been off season i always get the same answer…no problem the chinese will buy them.this to me is the problem because there is a market the product will always be located,we have to educate the public on the ills of defying the wildlife laws and the impact it as on our envioroment,harsher penalties will help but are not the soloution
Excuse my ignorance but you can’t travel with frozen foods? I mean if these were caught during hunting season and kept on ice since? That is illegal? Don’t know the situation…there’s not enough information there I think