There is a possibility that the bounty for monkey hunting could be increased as Government officials enter discussions on how to bring a balance between the island’s biodiversity and the protection of the agriculture industry.In an interview with Barbados TODAY Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir said that over the past several years the farming community and even residents have complained about the negative impact of the Green Monkey.He said his ministry and the Ministry of the Environment were discussing ways in which the island’s food security could be improved without terminating the species. He said that the notion of a higher bounty would not be ruled out during the stakeholder meetings with hunters and other players in the industry.“The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for protecting the agriculture sector so where monkeys are impacting the sector that is where we will respond . . . Wherever possible I am going to go all out to protect the agriculture sector and if it means having to work with those known hunters who are in the system we would do whatever it takes to facilitate them,”he said.
