Wild animals hunting, possession banned



Friday, August 22, 2008
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

FOLLOWING a sharp decline in the population of most of the wild animals and bird species in the province, the Punjab government imposed a complete ban on hunting and business in all wild animals and birds across the province, here Thursday.

A notification of Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department declared shooting, hunting, possession and sale and purchase of all kind of wild animals and birds illegal. The ban will remain effective throughout the province for one year, the notification stated.

It further stated that the government has also suspended all kind of licenses and permissions given to organisations and individuals for shooting, hunting, possession and sale and purchase of wild animals and bird species.

The department has also announced that no new licenses or permission will be given to anyone during one year. Moreover, the department also cancelled all the recently issued licenses of netting quails from across the province with immediate effect.

Experts said that Punjab was rich in fauna and flora and provided an excellent habitat for wildlife. These habitats support a variety of wild animals including different kinds of falcons, Markhor, musk deer, partridge, blue bull, Urial, barking deer, Goral, Chinkara, Seesee, Chakor, sand lizards, wild hare, hog deer, blackbuck, peacocks, Houbara bustard and etc.

Experts said Chinkara was the only animal, which could still be found in average numbers in Cholistan, but rarely in Thall. The blackbuck, once plentiful in Cholistan has now been eliminated.

A small number of blue bulls can be found along the Pak-Indian border and some parts of Cholistan.

The wildlife experts claimed that main threat to the population of wild animals and birds in the province was competition with expanding population, construction of roads and increasing cultivation.

They also blame illegal and excessive hunting as another major cause of decline in the population of wild animals and birds. They said illegal hunting was leading to the continuous loss, fragmentation and degradation of natural habitats that include forests, rangelands, and freshwater and marine ecosystem. Some species in Pakistan are already extinct, and many are internationally threatened. The 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals classifies 37 species and 14 sub-species of mammals that are found in Pakistan as internationally threatened or near threatened.

The Red List is based upon field data that is more than 20 years old and needs to be re-assessed.

An official of Wildlife department, on condition of anonymity revealed that some 4,000 Houbara bustards were smuggled to UAE from Pakistan every year.

He said according to unofficial estimates, Arab Sheikhs spend a lot of money on the hunt of Houbara bustards and the government supports them on the pretext that they contribute to the development of local infrastructure.

Answering a question about the interest of Arab Sheikhs in hunting Houbara, he said its hunting was deeply ingrained into Arab culture and they have been fascinated by it for hundreds of years.

He said according to some Arabs, Houbara hunting dates as far back as seven hundred years.

Besides, Arabs consider Houbara meat to be an aphrodisiac. On the other hand, the Wildlife and Parks department has directed its staff concerned to strictly follow the new notification and ensure its implementation.

The officials were also directed to immediately report any violation besides taking strict action against the violators.