Bloom Fabres started the upmarket some years ago at the Woodbrook Youth Facility and has very successfully continued to organise a Festival of Fabulous Foods and Finds, which includes hand-made local cards, jewelry, plants, beauty products and more, at very reasonable prices, and always in an attractive setting. The upmarket will offer a variety of unusual Mothers’ Day gifts.
After rediscovering the New World, Christopher Columbus carried Cuban amazons (Amazona leucocephala) back to Spain.
The parrot trade dates back thousands of years and continues to be fuelled by people seeking to own wild and beautiful pieces of nature even if their trade is illegal. It is therefore no surprise that out of 356 species of parrots in the world, 35 per cent are listed as near-threatened or endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species with more than 50 per cent of these being solely affected by the parrot trade.
In Trinidad we have already witnessed the extirpation of the blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna) from the Nariva Swamp during the 1960s. With much effort, these have since been successfully reintroduced and are now protected by law.
Several parrot species are ecological specialists (eg forest dwelling) and many are large-bodied, producing small and infrequent clutches. These characters make wild populations highly vulnerable to poaching. Rampant nestling poaching hinders population growth since parrots take many years to become sexually mature and are often taken before they are able to reproduce in the wild. At the local level, poaching is far from complicated and not organised by seasoned criminals as might be expected.
Parrots are followed to their nesting cavities on foot and monitored until the eggs hatch.
Nestlings are stolen either by cutting down the tree or cutting open the nest cavities. Both are very destructive methods as they kill the tree in the process and prevent re-use for future nesting. If the nest is in a relatively short tree the poacher climbs up to the cavity and removes the nestlings.
For adult parrots, netting or fishing line snares are used.
Many parrots do not survive capture and transport. Studies from Mexico and South America have reported that an average of 31 per cent of parrots die before making it into the hands of an interested buyer. To compensate for high mortality rates, poachers take unsustainably large numbers of parrots. It has been estimated that the illegal parrot trade removes over 800,000 birds from the wild every year.
Parrots are not transported under luxurious and comfortable conditions. When crossing borders or oceans they have to by-pass detection from customs officials since many countries have now banned the trade in wildlife. They are drugged or given alcohol or have their beaks taped shut to stop them from making a peep or squawk during transit. To keep them from flying, wing feathers are ripped out and the birds are tied together. They are crammed into DIY cages and stuffed into tyre wells, bottles and toilet paper rolls where they are barely able to move.
Many parrots die because of stress, rough handling, crushing and asphyxiation. Because they are kept in overcrowded substandard sanitary conditions they become highly susceptible to diseases. Several blue-fronted amazons (Amazona aestival) confiscated from smugglers in Brazil were found to be suffering from chlamydiosis. Symptoms include diarrhoea, depression, wheezing, weight loss, dehydration and discharge from the nostrils and eyes. Although the health impacts of parrot poaching on humans have not been widely discussed, it can be important, especially as diseases like chlamydiosis can be transmitted from parrots to humans.
The complimentary meal service parrots are given while in transit is either non-existent or far from nutritious (corn, plantain or sunflower seeds).
Parrot diets vary throughout the year; seeds, flowers, stems, insect larvae and fruit pulp.
For the poacher or middleman it can be very difficult to replicate or tailor a diet to each species’ needs.
Neotropical parrots live in habitats where varied and nutritious foods are readily and routinely available. They therefore have a weak ability to store nutrients for long periods of time and are more vulnerable to the conditions under which they are traded.
Because most parrots are stolen when they are young they become accustomed to this rather monotonous diet. They are very picky eaters only eating what they are familiar with even if later presented with nuts, vegetables and fruits by owners. As a result they become prime candidates for diseases caused by malnutrition, for example hypovitaminosis A, which causes beaks and nails to become thickened and overgrown.
Parrots are commonly thought of as pesky and wasteful feeders. But the way in which parrots feed allows them to both limit and enhance available resources within habitats they occupy.
Their powerful beaks allow them to feast on hard-to-crack nuts and hard-to-peel fruits, which when left partially exposed are fed upon by other animals, some of which are pollinators and seed dispersers themselves. Other animals are affected when the parrots they rely on are removed from the food chain. Oftentimes they drop the fruits or seeds while moving between trees, indicating that a local decline in these species also has a heavy consequence for local vegetation.
Undoing the damage caused by poaching is not as easy as returning pet parrot purchases.
Stuck between wild animal and companion pet, parrots face very real pressures of starvation, severe weather conditions and getting eaten by predators if released back into their natural habitats.
Long-term companion parrots rely completely on their owners for food, protection, and companionship. They lack the ability to recognise wild foods and to interact with their fellow species in complex social hierarchies which help them to evade predators, find food, and otherwise survive.
An alternative approach is to stop the trade before it happens by enforcing wildlife trade laws and increasing public awareness campaigns. In Trinidad, environmental protection is slowly being prioritised and we are still grappling with ending this multi-million dollar trade. Although there are laws governing the trade of wildlife and hard-working environmental organisations, parrots continue to be smuggled into the country from Central and South America to be sold at local pet stores or passed on to North America and England.
People have also tried to smuggle locally caught blue and gold macaws and amazons out of the country. It is quite possible that pet parrot keeping has become normal or is even used as a symbol of status in society especially the large macaws. Either way, potential parrot buyers may be swayed by desire strong enough to override consumer responsibility and heavy penalties.
We need to be made aware of what we will be truly supporting if we decide to buy parrots. How much do I value wild parrots, the environment and my fellow Trinidadians? What if my children could never see the forests, savannas and swamps the way I have? And what about their children? These are questions we must truthfully answer for ourselves.
For more info on our natural environment contact the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club at admin@ttfnc.
org or visit our website at www.
ttfnc.org and our Facebook or YouTube pages. The club’s next monthly meeting will be held today at St Mary’s College, Port-of-Spain. Lecture: “Is there more to the moriche palm” by Linton Arneaud.
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Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made this disclosure when he responded to questions in the House of Representatives yesterday.
He added that the boards of all other State entities are currently in place.
Rowley also said Government does have plans to create an office similar to Congressional Budget Office in the United States but is dealing with other pressing matters at this time.
Rowley also said the Maracas Bay Water Treatment plant project would cost approximately $3 million. The Prime Minister was unaware of a tourism and heritage plan for Moruga and Ste Madeleine.
Rowley added that Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe would ensure there is value for money on any tourism initiatives undertaken in TT.
He said drafting procedures must be legislated to take into consideration the needs of all citizens, especially those who may require additional structures to aid them in their everyday lives.
“It is the Hallmark of a civilised society that they place great consideration on the requirements of those who are at a disadvantage,” said Carmona.
He also suggested a collaborative effort between the Transport and Port Authority Boards as they both share the objective of increasing ease of accessibility between and around the islands.
Carmona reminded the members that they are tasked with the sole mission of building our country from the ground up and they must all times heed that call to put aside personal interests and myopic views which can blur the vision of a larger goal of nation building The Transport Board was sworn in by Carmona on May 5, at the Office of the President in St Ann’s. Members of the Board are Stein Carrington, Dave Baijoo, Dr Jacqueline Huggins and Roy Andrew Lloyd.
The relatives added that the victim who operated his private car for hire did not live to enjoy the birth of his first born .
They said Khan’s girlfriend is three months pregnant .
Reports are that gunshots were heard at Caura Valley Road at about 9 pm on Friday .
Residents later found Khan on the road bleeding from gunshot wounds to his chest .
Hours later two suspects were arrested and taken to the Tunapuna Police Station .
Relatives said Khan who lived in Barataria, received a call to transport someone from the Caura area but was instead ambushed by people known to him .
They said the killers drove off in his vehicle, which was later found in Maloney .
One of the arrested men, Troy Ward, was later found hanging in his cell. Ward’s relatives were unwilling to speak to reporters .
However, Newsday reporters were told he and Khan had known each other for years .
An autopsy confirmed Khan died from multiple gunshot wounds .
At that meeting, Rowley also told the national community that the cost of supplying water to every property receiving it was heavily subsidised and that WASA was in debt to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
If one were to methodically think things through, the logical question ought to be how does WASA manage an essential service without the benefit of liquidity to service its debt, and raise capital to replace its aging infrastructure in the presence of irate citizens? Case in point. In the residential district of Port-of-Spain north, there are at least two developments taking place, one a highly questionable land development, and a building development, within metres of each other, a short distance behind the Prime Minister’s residence.
Transportation access along the two sites is a long, winding, old and narrow road under which WASA communication pipes are laid.
In the instance of the land development, ongoing for several years, front and backhoe loaders, bulldozers and dump trucks have been “licking up” this particular road, undermining the integrity of the aging underground WASA pipes, leading to environmental degradation.
Due to the extent this is happening it appears there is no relief for residents of the area from busted water mains from dump trucks entering and leaving this site even after WASA repairs the problem repeatedly.
Is WASA monitoring public roads leading to development sites, legally bringing freeloaders to heel? On the matter of new, legal or illegal, building developments and rental of units, the overarching question for WASA is what is the authority’s response to the carrying capacity of its product and services in areas that are obviously over-populated but handled corruptly by other relevant agencies of State, and consequences of new property development on its network of materially affected aging equipment?
KATHLEEN PINDER via email
The business organisations are the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce; Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce; Couva/ Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce; San Fernando Business Association; Penal/ Debe Chamber of Commerce; Siparia Chamber of Commerce; Point Fortin/South Western Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Rio Claro Chamber of Commerce.
Couva/Point Lisas Chamber president Liaquat Ali said the property tax and increased bank charges were discussed by representatives of the eight chambers during a meeting at the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber’s auditorium in Camden Road, Couva on Monday. “We are not against the property tax but are against the manner in which it is being rushed,” Ali said adding, “we need a lot more clarity because there are a lot more questions than answers.” “We are saying to government, defer the date from May 22, and give yourself enough time to communicate with the population on how they are going about valuing the property tax.” Ali said the six percent tax on plant and machinery is a disincentive to the manufacturing sector, saying a business owner may have to pay $3M on a property valued $10M.
“Let’s say you have a building valued $10 – $15 million and you have $50 million worth of plant and equipment.
You want to tell me that I have to pay three million dollars every year? No, we are against the six percent in industrial tax on plant and equipment,” he said.
On bank charges and the distribution of foreign exchange, Ali said planned meetings with the Bankers Association (BATT) failed to materialise as neither party could agree on a scheduled time.
“We are asking banks for clarity in how they distribute foreign exchange.
What criteria do they use, how is John Public to access foreign exchange, the banks are not telling us their criteria,” Ali said.
“Some businesses have reached a position where we have to scale down operations because we don’t have the amount of foreign exchange to pay for goods,” he said noting a shortage of foreign exchange was unavoidable due to low energy prices.
“By all indications and all correspondence coming out of BATT, they have no intention in my opinion, of reducing any charges and are justifying their charges by being efficient. But you can go into a bank and line up for two to three hours, there are no facilities for the differently abled, senior citizens have to go and wait for hours in a line, they have no washroom facilities…this is efficiency” he asked.
He said to cut back on expenses, the business organisations are looking at not accepting credit cards at their business places. “The business have to pay a percentage based on sales, so we losing that for the income we getting, the cardholder has to pay a fee for using the credit card and a service charge, so we feel now that is about time we bring back the ‘ole time days’. We are prepared to look at the possibility of not accepting credit card transactions at the point of sale, so the business community wouldn’t have to fork out that expense,” Ali said.
The funding resources are provided by the European Union (EU) under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy Standby Facility for Capacity Building, 10th European Development Fund (EDF).
This facility is being administered by the CDB. The project commenced on May 9, and is expected to be completed by August 17.
At the launch of the National Aid for Trade Strategy on April 26, it was recognized that some of the major challenges that affect the ability of the private sector to participate effectively in international trade, related to problems associated with quality.
One of the Aid for Trade Priority Projects is the Development and Implementation of a National Quality Policy.
This will directly reduce challenges faced by the private sector through improvement to the enabling environment.
The funding received from this Grant will be directed at a Project for the Development of a Quality Policy.
The project focuses on two components.
Firstly, it will focus on the Development of the National Quality Policy and a detailed implementation plan and secondly, it will serve to sensitize key stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the National Quality Policy.
The Policy will provide guidance for the establishment of appropriate national quality infrastructure (NQI).
The NQI relates to all aspects of metrology, standardization, testing, quality management, certification and accreditation.
It includes both public and private institutions and the regulatory framework within which they operate.
With the strengthening of the trading environment and the ability of firms to meet international standards, the potential for generating revenues, employment and export earnings in Trinidad and Tobago is expected to be greatly increased. The TT Bureau of Standards (TTBS) under the aegis of the Ministry of Trade and Industry will be responsible for implementation of the project.
A Project Steering Committee consisting of key stakeholders has been established to provide policy advice during the development of the National Quality Policy and monitor the implementation of the Policy.
The collaborating Ministries and Agencies include representatives of the Chemistry Food and Drugs Division, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Planning and Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Tobago House of Assembly, Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association, Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries.
Everyone has a role to play in policing this country, Deputy Commissioner of Police Deodath Dulalchan said as he addressed a police town meeting at the Ragoonanan Road Government Primary School on Monday evening.
Among those in attendance were residents and business people from the Central area.
Dulalchan told the gathering that 40 additional officers were sent to the Central Division to strengthen security in certain crime hot spots.
He called on residents to get involved in policing their communities.
“We are out here holding meetings and coming to you so we can impact on the general community.
“We must work together hand in hand to make Trinidad and Tobago a far safer place,” Dulalchan said, adding it has been said the public is the police and police is the public.
“It is important for us to have this one on one discussion with you so you can give us a feed back as to how the local police are working for you,” he said, adding that he would like to know whether people are satisfied with the quality of policing afforded to them.
He called on the people to voice their concerns as everything that is said at these town meetings is recorded and sent to the Police Commissioner for review.
“I plan to follow- up on matters that are discussed at this level with senior superintendents in charge,” Dulalchan said.
During the meeting, a resident from Lawrence Wong Road in Longdenville complained that that area is plagued by robberies and shootings.
Another resident said the bandits know exactly when to make their move as they have studied the pattern of police patrols. Residents also called on the Deputy Commissioner to look into reports of drug dens.
The man, who was wearing jeans and a jersey, appeared to be of mixed descent with a plaited hairstyle.
Up to press time, the identity of the body remained unknown. The body was taken to the Forensic Science Centre, St James where once formal identification is made, an autopsy will be done to ascertain cause of death. Police said it appears he was shot to the back of the head. Up to press time, the murder toll stood at 183 compared to 163 for the corresponding period last year. Up to yesterday, there were 13 murders recorded for this month.
