KARACHI, Nov 18: The federal government has issued at least 12 special permits to ruling family members of different Gulf states to bring in and take back over 815 rare species falcons at the end of the hunting season 2012-2013, it emerged on Sunday.

According to sources, a dignitary from Saudi Arabia has been given two permits for 135 falcons; Bahrain royals five permits for 200 falcons; United Arab Emirates men two permits for 250 falcons and Qataris have been given three permits for 230 predatory birds.

The sources said the highly endangered species falcons – peregrine and saker – are used by falconers to the hunt houbara bustard, the internationally protected bird species.

Tabuk (Saudi Arabia) Governor Prince Fahad bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz has been authorised to temporarily import 120 falcons in addition to the 15 falcons permitted earlier; he would re-export them while returning home.

A Sept 19 permit issued to UAE dignitaries – specific name(s) of the permit holder(s) not mentioned – allows them to bring in and take back 200 falcons. Similarly, an Oct 17 permit authorises Nasir Abdullah Lootah to bring in and take back 30 falcons.

Qatar’s Sheikh Khalid bin Thani bin Abdullah Al-Thani has been allowed (through an Oct 10 permit) to import 10 falcons in addition to 20 allowed through a Sept 20 permit. An Oct 18 permit allows Qatar dignitaries to import/export 200 falcons.

An Oct 8 permit allows the commander of the National Guards of Bahrain and a brother of the king, lieutenant general Sheikh Mohammad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, to import/export 40 falcons. Through a permit dated Feb 28, the government had allowed the national guards commander to import/export 60 falcons.

A first cousin of the king of Bahrain has been allowed to import and export 35 falcons through a Feb 28 permit. The government has allowed, through an Oct 24 permit, royal dignitaries of Bahrain to import and export 50 falcons. Through a June 20 permit, Sheikh Mohammad bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, another royalty member, was allowed to import/export 15 falcons.

The special re-export permits stipulate, among other things, that no falcons will be allowed to be imported for training purposes and that no purchase/export of local falcons will be allowed.

Though foreign hunters imported falcons for hunting houbara bustards, most falcon permits were issued much before the hunting season — some in January and June.

The sources said that some falcons grew old and lost their hunting ability, and were replaced with younger ones. And though the permits prescribed some checks, such as the falcons be photographed and travel with a passport, it was difficult for the non-technical custom staff to match them with the photographs.

Conservationists fear that older falcons are changed with younger ones purchased here and taken back on the re-export permits. Citing an example, a conservationist said that during the last hunting season a Qatari diplomat was caught at Karachi airport trying to smuggle out over 50 falcons for a Qatari prince, suggesting that at least some of the foreign hunters had bought falcons here. In a recent incident, over 100 falcons were seized at Faisalabad airport.

Conservationists suggest that an identification microchip in falcons be made mandatory so that they could be scanned and data recorded when being imported and then at the time of their return customs officials could identify them.

They also suggest that the falcons be allowed to travel — come into the country and leave it — only with the permit-holder and not with anyone else, including the ‘advance party’ of the hunters.