Govt allows partridge hunting for two months

Says move aimed at preventing poaching and promoting sport hunting

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department has declared the partridge hunting season for two months –December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024 – allowing the registered hunters to hunt the wild birds under the department’s standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“In order to promote sport hunting and to provide fair opportunities to legal hunters and to avert the hunting pressure on species of a particular area, partridge hunting shall be carried out with effect from 1st December 2023 to 31st January 2024,” a letter addressed to the Territorial Deputy Directors Wildlife across the province read.

The letter, issued by the Office of the Director General, Wildlife and Parks Department, also clarified that hunting shall only be allowed on Sundays from 8am to sunset in these two months in only nine areas in the four districts of Rawalpindi Division, which have been declared as the hunting grounds.

On the other hand, 19 districts of the province have been fully opened for hunting.

However, hunting of these birds will be prohibited near cantonment areas, military and sensitive installations, government buffer zones and airports.

Further, the hunting can only be done under a licensed weapon with a permit while the use of military jeeps and hunting with weapons used by the army and police will also be prohibited.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the secretary of wildlife stated that hunting was a big sport.

“These two months of open hunting permit in winter is aimed at preventing illegal hunting and promoting legal hunting sports,” he said. “For this hunting, the officials of the wildlife department will give full support to the hunters, giving them guidelines while monitoring the hunting,” he added.

According to details, two tehsils Gujjar Khan and Taxila of district Rawalpindi, two tehsils Dina and Suhawa of district Jhelum, two tehsils Choa Saidan Shah and Kallar Kahar of district Chakwal, three tehsils Hazro, Fateh Jang and Hasan Abdal of district Attock have been declared hunting grounds. Similarly, two tehsils each of Mianwali, Khushab, Bhakar, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur will be hunting grounds while in all other districts, hunting can be done anywhere.

Wildlife Director General Mubeen Elahi said, “There is a permanent ban on the hunting of common sparrows and mynas for seeking charity, violation of which has been declared a punishable offence.”

He said those involved in hunting and selling these birds in the markets will also be arrested and fined. “We encourage legal hunting and no one will be allowed to hunt illegally,” he said, adding important steps were being taken for the promotion of wildlife in the province.

While the hunters welcomed the permission to hunt for two months, saying this move would put an end to stealth hunting, the NGOs working for the promotion of wildlife criticised the permission to hunt, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the decision and a complete ban on hunting for at least five years for the healthy breeding of wild birds in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2023.