According to DNER data, animal hunting has been taking place since before Europeans arrived in Puerto Rico.
The former management officer of the Boquerón Wildlife Refuge, Idelfonso Ruiz, indicated that the communities of Puerto Rico that hunt on the island do so “recreationally” to connect with nature and not with the survival approach that the Tainos used to use in the past. This is considered a loss of the wild instinct and love for the organic.
“Unfortunately, Puerto Ricans no longer harvest their own food; we have lost our animal instinct. We depend on 75% of the food that enters Puerto Rico via barges. Not encouraging hunting on the island puts Puerto Rican citizens at a disadvantage and in the worst case scenario increases starvation,” Ruiz said.
According to the former official, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) is responsible for establishing and enforcing the laws, rules and regulations related to the house in Puerto Rico. However, there are exceptions, such as migratory birds from foreign countries, in these situations the jurisdiction would fall in the hands of the federal government in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“I am a nature lover when I am hunting and it calls my attention to see that with those I hunt with, we do not break Wildlife Law 241 (as amended, 1999). I am very cautious about this and I am also an environmentalist, which means that all of us in my group have to leave the area immaculate, better than when we borrowed it,” said Maribel Morales Garcia, who has been a hunter for more than 38 years.
Morales also explained that she does not hunt as a sport, but rather as a hobby to enjoy nature and fellowship. She also emphasized that with the type of hunting she does, that of birds (pigeons, ducks, turtledoves) and mammals (goats and pigs), her group consumes the meat harvested and does not waste it.
Annually, the DNER decides which species and places are suitable for hunting without harming the ecosystem. Failure to comply with the agency's specifications may result in fines and even criminal charges.
“The department conducts year-round population inventories of birds, such as pigeons and waterfowl. These data are sent by e-mail to the Migratory Bird Office, where experts in statistics and spectral life evaluate the health of the populations,” Ruiz emphasized.
The hunting season begins in September, with pigeons, followed by ducks and other species. Likewise, the usual times in Isla de Mona, a popular destination for these practices, starting in January until April, where they start allowing bow and arrow and then add the permission to use shotguns. While only hunting is allowed from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Thursday on Mona Island.
Ruiz noted that historically in Puerto Rico, these practices began with the Tainos, who used tools such as nets, fish bones, bows and arrows, baskets, among other arts to catch birds, iguanas, manatees, jicoteas, and more.
“They learned to domesticate birds, which they used to hunt parrots. However, it was not until the arrival of European and African man that they developed their fishing and hunting gear to the maximum,” Ruiz said in a written statement.
Regulations for the sport
Although Ruiz emphasizes that this type of practice is usually passed on generationally by family members, there are some specifications that must be followed, as explained in Regulation 6765, “to govern the conservation and management of wildlife, exotic species and game.”.
Some of these are:
- Pass the hunter education course and to integrate minors between 14 and 17 years of age, conditional permits must be granted.
- It is prohibited to use bows with a power of less than 40 pounds, to record hunts, motorized boats and weapons with explosive, poisoned or anesthetic tips.
- Hunting in authorized areas such as the Boquerón Wildlife Refuge, the Humacao Nature Reserve, Mona Island or the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
- Study the limitations established in that year for the species you wish to hunt.
- If hunting on private properties, consult with the owners beforehand and make sure that they comply with the requirements.
Principles according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
In Puerto Rico and in the United States, hunting is legal and regulated, as well as operating under the principles of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, as presented in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This is to regulate these activities and prevent damage to the ecosystems of the species, in order to help maintain a balance and reduce overpopulation.
- Wildlife as public trust resources: Natural resources and wildlife on public lands are managed by government agencies to ensure that current and future generations will always have wildlife and wild places to enjoy.
- Prohibition of trade in dead wildlife: Commercial hunting and sale of wildlife is prohibited to ensure the sustainability of wildlife populations. The Wildlife Act 241 as amended, also known as the Lacey Act, prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported, and sold.
- Rule of law: Laws and regulations developed by DNER, and enforced by state and federal agencies, will guide the proper use of wildlife resources.
- Opportunity for all: Every citizen has the opportunity, under the law, to hunt and fish.
- Wildlife should only be killed for a legitimate purpose: People can legally kill certain wild animals for hunting or food, such as green iguanas, goats, pigeons, among others.
- Wildlife as an international resource: Because wildlife and fish migrate freely across borders between states, provinces and countries, they are considered an international resource.
- Scientific management of wildlife: The best available science will be used as the basis for informed wildlife management decisions. It is important to keep in mind that management objectives are developed to support species, not individual animals.
