Vervet monkeys have been dubbed a ‘nuisance’ by people on the Dutch island of Sint Maarten, who have accepted a contentious proposal to eradicate the entire population. However, opponents of the initiative contend that sterilisation or neutering may be a more effective solution to the problem of the expanding monkey population.
Following complaints from farmers that the invasive species was ‘raiding their crops and destroying their livelihood,’ according to the Guardian, a plan to kill hundreds of monkeys has been developed.
An NGO by the name of Nature Foundation St Maarten which as per its website aims to ‘preserve and enhance its (St Maarten’s) nature for generations to come’ will execute the government-funded plan to capture and euthanise more than 450 monkeys over the next three years. The numbers are from a now-outdated survey carried out in 2020.
Sint Maarten’s ministry of tourism, economic affairs, transportation and telecommunication in December approved 100,000NAf ($55,000) in funding per year for the project.
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