Money for Houbara bustard deferred

Funds allocation for Houbara bustard and migratory birds discussed

ISLAMABAD: The second meeting of Houbara Bustard and Migratory Birds Endowment Fund discussed the process of distribution and allocation of funds for the conservation of the avian guests.

The second meeting of the board was held on Thursday, with Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan in the chair.

The members deliberated over the financial rules which were supposed to be approved by board member but a decision was deferred due to technical issues.

Heads of wildlife departments of all provinces and other federating units are the board members and federal minister for Climate Change is chairman of the board.



The ministry sources said that mechanism of distribution of funds was missing in the rules and terminologies used in the document were not defined.

The former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had approved creation of the endowment fund for migratory birds including the McQueen’s bustard – also known as the Asian houbara – in Pakistan in October 2016 with initially allocation of Rs250 million and will be augmented through additional resources in the future.

The endowment fund was designed to provide a lasting solution for conservation and habitat protection of migratory birds in Pakistan with aim to develop conservation, propagation and artificial breeding initiatives for bustards and other migratory birds, manage and restore migratory bird habitats, such as protected areas and conservancies, protect endangered species of migratory birds, their habitats and ecosystems, and support wildlife management and security operations by provincial governments.

After creation of endowment fund no progress could be made on the issue and first meeting of board was held last week after a lapse of 13 months. It was the second board meeting during last two weeks due to personal interest shown by Mushahidullah.

Mushahid while talking to board members said that PML-N government was very serious to protect Houbara bustard species in Pakistan adding that the creation of this fund was proof of solid efforts. “All provinces need to work together to spend this money right directions,” he emphasised.



Ministry of Climate Change Biodiversity Director Naem Ashraf Raja told The Express Tribune that the rate of population decline of bustards was approaching levels that would qualify for classification as an endangered species.

He said that the review of the global conservation status of the Asian houbara reports a population of between 79,000 and 97,000 individuals globally.

Raja said that the population of Asian houbara had been in steady decline since the early 20th century and overexploitation remained the foremost threat to the species, primarily as a result of unsustainable levels of hunting and poaching.

The number of birds migrating from Siberia has also declined drastically in recent years. Many birds fly south to India to escape the harsh Russian winter, but on their way, they make stopovers at different lakes and water reservoirs in Pakistan, including Tanda Dam in Kohat, and Haleji, Keenjhar and Lungsee lakes in Sindh.



A WWF official who is engaged in conservation work in Sindh said the number of migratory birds making stopovers at Keenjhar Lake had declined from 205,000 to 13,706 over the last two decades.

In 1987-88, about 65 species of waterfowl were recorded at Keenjhar Lake. A census carried out in 2010 revealed that a large number of waterfowl had avoided visiting the lake and the total number of birds had also declined drastically, he explained. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2018.