Every year, at the onset of winter, millions of migratory birds, from the cold north, move into warmer climates. In Pakistan too, a major population of migratory birds come from Russia, Siberia and other Central Asian states. With a series of natural abodes, Pakistan is regarded as one of the important wintering grounds for these birds. Unfortunately, after escaping from the harsh winters of their native land, these birds, after reaching Pakistan, are at a greater risk. The risk comes from the guns and nets of local hunters. And over hunting has vastly reduced the number of migratory birds that visit the country.
Hunting and netting of birds is very common in Sindh, where the rules of bird hunting are not followed. Many hunters, especially those belonging to rural areas, fail to acquire shooting permits. Hence they do not adhere to game law. They hunt everyday, everywhere and every bird. Conventional landowners wadaira of Sindh usually maintain their own hunting lakes and fields. Every season they arrange ‘hunting parties’ where they invite influential friends. Usually the list of guests also includes Arab sheikhs who hunt countless birds at their leisure, openly violating the hunting rules and the ethics of the sport.
However, more than hunting, netting and snaring of birds for commercial purposes is behind the sharp fall in the bird population in this region. And despite there being a ban on the practice, netting and snaring of birds goes on unabated. Poachers set up large nets aside sizable and protected bodies of water. These nets catch many ducks, coots and other waterfowls as they are about to land.
Popular game-birds like partridges, sandgrouses, chukor, quails and bustards are snared from arid and semi-arid grounds. The claw of a wandering bird gets snared, especially in the morning when it leaves its hideout in search of food. The captured birds are carefully removed from the net or snares and their wing-bones are broken, so that once it is out of the net, the bird is not able to fly away. These birds are sold openly in markets like Mirpur Sakro, Gujjo, Sajawal and Jati. Among the people who buy these birds are also amateur hunters who, after unsuccessful hunting trips, buy these caught birds and then go home to show-off their kill.
Rare and endangered species like the houbara bastard (talor) and falcon are also smuggled to foreign countries especially to Arab countries. Sindh Wildlife Department has full authority to curb this prohibited tradition and to deal the offender in line with the law. Many times, the Wildlife Department has recovered captured birds from poachers. These birds, if not disabled, are released into natural environment afterward. Captured ducks and other waterfowls are rarely seized by the department, probably because these birds are traded in local markets of remote areas. Still, there is meagre control against illegal poaching and hunting, especially against the influential personalities who support this tradition.
Netting and snaring is the worse means of depopulating birds. The law of hunting, by the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance, allows that a hunter can kill 15 water-birds or 10 game-birds, only on Saturdays and Sundays.
The main reasons for the fierce massacre of birds in rural Sindh is lack of economical means. It along with inadequate law enforcement and the lack of awareness to the importance of wildlife and environment are greatly contributing to the depleting number of birds in the region. Sindh Wildlife Department should really do something very practical and effectual to desist all such irregularities in areas of its ascendancy. To begin with, law enforcement should be made effective. Fertile wetland sites should be checked at different intervals to prevent birds from being netted or hunted illegally. Monitoring and patrolling systems should be modernized. The bag of hunters (permit holders) should be examined at wildlife check-posts and more checkpoints should be established where required.
Offenders of the game law should be dealt with lawfully, without any discrimination or influence. And above all, awareness and educational programs with respect to the importance of wildlife should be designed and conducted in rural areas.
The apprehension is not only the depopulation of wildbirds, but in fact the loss of the environment. Every living thing on earth is in conjunction with each other under a closely-knitted bio-network. If one species of any living creature is lost, the ecological equilibrium starts suffering. Consequently, the sustenance of each class will affect by-and-by, and obviously will affect man as well.
