Use camera drones to stop ibis poaching

It seems that at the moment there is a shortage of field officers at the Ministry of Agriculture, making it almost impossible to eradicate the problem. I posit that it can be solved almost immediately with the implementation of this not-new technology.

A search on the Internet reveals that there are several types of drones available, both in the US and even here in Trinidad, that can do the job. They are relatively inexpensive, about US$1,200 and even lower.

The drones come with HD cameras that can be monitored and recorded from a laptop and they can be airborne for more than 45 minutes on one battery charge with speeds of up to 22 miles an hour, recording all the while.

Picture it: our field officers can pinpoint the location of the poacher and have the evidence from their base before going out to arrest the culprits. No need to employ extra staff in this downturn.

I hear that there are people with the expertise and the equipment right here in Trinidad (I know of none personally) and I am sure if approached they can give a demonstration for, say, a month to prove the usefulness of this technology.

The drones can also be used in locating missing people both at land and at sea. I am not even mentioning the use that the Defence Force can also make of it for patrols.

I love both national birds with a passion and I appeal to the relevant ministry to do something now to wipe out this poaching menace. Do not wait to introduce the technology after all the birds are gone. Get the amateur drone aviators on the job now. One arrest or even the advertisement of the drone use on a trial basis and I feel that all poaching of the birds and other wildlife will stop.

It may be that we already have the equipment here as I seem to remember Gary Griffith recommending it to the then government when he was in the Ministry of National Security as a replacement for the much hated and misunderstood blimp. If so, please immediately deploy the technology.

TERRY INNISS Cascade