PESHAWAR, Jan 2: The Frontier Wildlife Department has launched a project to protect and preserve migratory birds in the province with the help of communities settled along the Kabul and Indus rivers, the wildlife chief conservator said.

Speaking to APP, Dr Mumtaz Malik said the plan named as‘Management of Waterfowls Along River Kabul & Indus in NWFP’ was aimed at regulating the hunting of the migratory birds in the province.

Under the project, he said, 20 points would be selected, from Warsak to Kund along River Kabul and from Kund to Tarbela along River Indus, where communities would be trained to control hunting of birds.

These communities would be empowered to issue permits to hunters, select game reserves for hunting and protected areas for birds.

Presently, he said, due to shortage of staff the hunting of migratory birds went unchecked and hunters were free to hunt along the rivers of Kabul and Indus.

Earlier, before 1970, he added, there was no rule for protection of migratory birds and people were allowed to freely hunt the species.

However, after signing of the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species, laws to protect migratory birds were enacted.—APP