A RECENT report in Dawn said several areas are open for hunting birdlife in Sindh. The unfortunate curlew is a guest shorebird that is a victim of hunting in Pakistan. Licences issued by the Sindh Wildlife Department allow a party of four hunters to kill up to 60 over a weekend.

Hunting season is on full swing. Partridges, sandgrouse, quail, ducks, coots, moorhen snipes, stints, dunlin, godwit, ruff, curlews and red shank are all fair game in Thatta, Shahbandar, Mahal Kharochan, Mirpur Sakro, Sujawal, Jati, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Bago, Hyderabad, Golarchi, Fazil Raho, Badin, Mahal Kohistan, Kotri, Mehar, Digri, Kunri, Diplo, Chachro, Mithi, Sarhari, Sakrand, Faiz Gung, Bhirya, Sobho Dero, Thari Mir Wah, Nara, Khairpur, Rohri, Sehwan, Samaro, Ghotki, Khanpur, Jacobabad, Thul, Ghari Khairo, Shikarpur, Larkana, Miro Khan, Qambar, Sindhri, Tando Adam and Sinjhoro.

While some of us like to observe the wonders of birdlife in nature, weekend hunters take the birds’ life for the thrill of the kill.

In the face of a worldwide biodiversity crisis, should the Sindh Wildlife Department, entrusted with protecting animals, be allowed to endlessly please hunters — from influential landlords, politicians and rich businessmen to city slickers?

We demand that Pakistan’s wildlife be protected from gun toting recreational hunters and poachers, to let ecosystems recover and for biodiversity to flourish once again.

Mahera Omar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2019