“I think we should revisit the existing law and try to make it work,” Calvo told Variety. He was referring to the regulations on wild deer hunting and coconut crab harvest.
He said he supports the conservation law but added that there is “a need to address the economic problems” of the people.
Current regulations state that the “legal hunting hours for game animals shall be from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, and only during the designated hunting season. Coconut crabs may be hunted during any time of day or night during the designated hunting season.”
Calvo said there are many Rota residents who are jobless and prohibiting “these people from harvesting and selling coconut crabs is hard.”
He added, “It is hard for you to say no. They are doing this for the welfare of their family. They have family to feed, power bills to pay.”
Hunting coconut crabs is “part of the culture,” he said.
Revisiting the conservation law can help create a new source of livelihood for Rota residents, Calvo said.
Designating a conservation place rather than a harvest period is more appropriate, he added.
People will be barred from entering designated conservation areas to allow the propagation of wildlife, including the deer and coconut crabs.
According to Calvo, the community should be allowed to “redefine” the conservation law so it can conform to the present economic conditions of the people of Rota.
He said he will present his proposal to the Rota legislative delegation.
