Partridge hunting season begins in K-P

Licences can be obtained from Wildlife chief conservator

PESHAWAR: The provincial government has formally announced that the annual two-and-a-half-month season to hunt partridges, including See-see, Black, Grey and Chakur partridges will be permissible in the province from Sunday, November 17, until February 2, 2020.

A provincial wildlife minister, though, has assured that the government will adopt a zero-tolerance policy against unlawful hunting of migratory birds or other animals in the province by mobilizing field staff.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, in a notification, said that during 2019-20 season hunters will not be allowed to hunt in either protected areas or open areas of prohibited union councils.

Hunting shall only be permissible on Sundays and other gazetted holidays. Further, hunters will have to obtain the special permit issued by the K-P Wildlife Chief Conservator to hunt in the designated Game Reserves.

During the 2019-20 hunting season, the small game shooting licence will cost Rs3,000 per annum, a special permit for shooting in a game reserve will be Rs5,000 per day and possession licence for a dog will be Rs1,500 per annum.

The special permit fees, once deposited, can not be refunded. Moreover, special permits will not be issued unless the hunter holds a valid shooting license. Moreover, one will be issued a permit for hunting in more than one game reserve on a single day.

To ensure sufficient hunting opportunities for all and to regulate them, the partridge population in game reserves will be regularly monitored. The government said that it will stop issuing permits as soon as it is deemed a threshold has been reached.

Hunters have been allotted a maximum bag limit of five birds of all species of partridges combined per gun per day. Hunters will have to pay Rs1,200 for each bird hunted more than the allowed bag limit apart from paying compensation as per the rules.

A maximum of two hunting parties (not more than five guns in a party) shall be allowed in a game reserve on a single hunting day.

Hunting in Community Game Reserves will only be allowed after due consent of the concerned Village Conservation Committee (VVC). Similarly, hunting in private game Reserves will only be allowed after due consent is sought from the owner of the reserve.

However, hunting partridges will not be permissible in union councils Bilitang, Dodha, Khushal Gar, Shakardara R-2, Somari of Kohat, UCs Balyamir, Naryab, of Hangu, UCs Jatta Ismail Khel, Bahaderkhel, Sabirabad , Palosa Sar of Karak, UC Bazzar of Mardan, UCs Narangi and Kabgani of Swabi, UC Lassan Nawab of Mansehra, UCs Ghan Phulgran and Dewal Manal of Abbottabad, UCs Bakka, Panian, Shah Maqsood, Sarao Salaha, Rahana and Pind Hashim Khan of Hripur.

Similarly, hunting will not be permissible in northern circle UCs Selai Pattey, Middle Batkhela Dheri Julagram, Pirkhel, Palai, Totakan of Malakand, in UCs Kharerai, Pirkaly, and Guli Bagh of Swat, in UCs Asala, Sherpalan , Duruskhela Sakhra, Baidara, Damar, Chuprial of Matta in Swat, in UCs Dardeal and Shah Derai of Kabul Tehsil in Swat, in UC Rahimabad of Babozai Tehsil of Swat, in UCs Kalar and Utror of Bahrain Tehsil in Swat, in UC Dedal-Kamach of Aloch Tehsil of Shangla, in UC Dandai of Bisham Tehsil in Shangla, in UCs Ouch of Timergara in Lower Dir, in UCs Sarwai and Kargali Chinglai of Buner.

The notification said that 90 per cent of the fee generated from special permits will be paid to local communities. The respective community will, in turn, use the money on game conservation and developmental works.

The remaining 10 per cent of the fees will go to the government.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2019.