The 2023 game bird-shooting season will open on Saturday, August 19, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has advised.

It runs for 5 weeks and closes on Sunday, September 24.

Under the Wild Life Protection (Game Birds) (Declaration of Shooting Season) Order, 2019, the season hunting sessions are from sunrise to 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to sunset on Saturdays, and from sunrise to 9 a.m. on Sundays.

Only the Zenaida Dove/Pea Dove, White-winged Dove; White-crowned Pigeon/Baldpate and Mourning Dove/ Long-tailed Pea Dove may be hunted.

The overall bag limit per hunting session is 20 birds and no more than 15 can be White-crowned Pigeons. No hunting is allowed within game reserves/sanctuaries, forest reserves or within 50 metres of their boundaries, public roads and or within 50 metres of residential areas.

Anyone who wishes to take part in the 2023 Bird Shooting Season must obtain a hunters' licence from NEPA or from any of the authorised vendors located across Jamaica.

The cost for hunters' licence is $25,000. All applicants must possess a valid firearm licence/user's permit for a shotgun and a Tax Registration Number (TRN) to be eligible for purchasing a hunters' licence.

Hunters who failed to submit the required hunting report for previous seasons will be required to pay a late processing fee of $5,000 before being granted a Hunter's Licence for the 2023 Hunting Season.

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