The Wildlife Department has allowed partridge hunting during December and January in 30 tehsils of Punjab including four hilly tehsils of the Rawalpindi district.
On the other hand, hunting of aquatic birds of Siberia in Pakistan has been declared prohibited and strict legal action would be taken against those who violate the ban.
The two-month-long hunting season will reportedly commence on December 1, 2022, and will last till January 31, 2023.
According to a notification, the hunters will be able to hunt both black and brown partridges under certain conditions such that only hunters with a valid shooting permit will be allowed to hunt; the designated day for hunting will be Sunday only and no other area will be permitted except for the official hunting grounds. Moreover, anywhere near the cantonment area or the defence installation will be prohibited to be used as a hunting ground.
It will be strictly prohibited to use any other means except for a licensed weapon. In this regard, Director General Wildlife and Parks, Mubin Elahi, has issued a formal notification. He said that the purpose of allowing hunting is to promote legal hunting in the region and to reduce the pressure of illegal hunting on the authorities concerned.
He said that the officials of the department will regularly monitor hunting activities and those who violate will be arrested, their weapons will be seized and cases will also be registered against them.
Partridge hunting will be allowed in tehsils including Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahota, Kallar Syedan, Gujjar Khan, Taxila, Hasanabdal, Hazro, Fateh Jang tehsils of Attock district, Tehsil of Chakwal district, Talagang, Choa Saidan Shah, Lawa, Kallar Kahar, Bhakkar, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Khushab and in all tehsils of Gujarat. The hunters have welcomed the permission to hunt for two months, saying that this move will put an end to stealth hunting. Hunter Hasan Ali said that hunters who hunt legally will get hunting opportunities; the art of hunting will also be encouraged.
Meanwhile, the NGOs working for the promotion of wildlife have criticised the permission to hunt. Sana Raja, an activist of the Wildlife Breeding Organisation, demanded the withdrawal of the decision and said that a complete ban on hunting should be imposed for at least five years for the healthy breeding of wild animals and birds in the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2022.
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