Ban imposed on wild bird hunting

Official says restriction to be in place until 15 October

LAHORE:

The Punjab Wildlife Department has imposed a ban on the hunting of wild birds and water birds across the province.

The ban will remain in force for eight months. Cases will be registered against poachers for violating the ban, arrests will be made, and poaching equipment will be confiscated.

The ban has been imposed with the start of the breeding season of wild animals to increase the breeding of wild birds and water birds - for which a formal notification has also been issued by the government of Punjab.

The ban focuses on black and white partridges, quails, ducks, rabbits and chicks. To enforce the ban, teams of wildlife inspectors and wildlife watchers have been constituted to protect hunting grounds and dense forests across the province.

Entrances and exits to forest hunting grounds will be sealed, security will be deployed on the routes, and closed circuit cameras will be installed in the dense forests as part of the ban.

The wildlife department has especially banned the hunting of partridges sleeping on trees at night during the hunting season.

Further, the use of hunting gun-nets will be prohibited.

Read: 103 held for illegal hunting in 2021

Any violation will result in arrest, imprisonment and heavy fines.

The government has also imposed a complete and permanent ban on bird’s hunting with air guns.

The wildlife department Assistant Director told The Express Tribune that all hunters of wild birds will go to jail from February 15 to October 15.

“The breeding season of wild birds is starting with spring and thus, this restriction has been imposed for breeding of these birds,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2022.