Protecting the Houbara bustard

Government must stop violating the law, learn to value the Houbara habitat and work for its conservation

The endangered Houbara bustard is prey to seasonal killing every year, particularly by visitors from Gulf countries. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government recently made the commendable move of refusing to grant permission to foreign dignitaries for hunting a bird that is at risk of extinction. The Supreme Court is hearing a case against the federal government’s practice of issuing illegal hunting permits to visitors from Gulf states, with the stance of the K-P government on the issue coming to light during the proceedings of the case. The K-P government has contended that despite a ban on hunting the bird, the federal government issues permits in violation of law.

In February this year, three foreign dignitaries from a Gulf country, who were said to be visiting Pakistan as part of a diplomatic mission, were allowed to hunt the rare bird in Balochistan after special permits were allegedly issued to them. The hunting spree came despite the Balochistan High Court having placed a ban on hunting the Houbara bustard. The International Union for Conservation of Nature includes the Houbara bustard on its ‘red list’ of endangered species. It is estimated that there are fewer than 97,000 Houbara bustards left globally. Yet, instead of treasuring the bird and conserving the Houbara habitat, the government not only illegally permits visitors from the Middle East to hunt and kill them; it also appears unconcerned about the number of birds poached every year. A report published in 2014 by the Balochistan Forest and Wildlife department claimed that a member of the royal family from a Gulf state had poached nearly 2,100 Houbara bustards during a three-week safari in Chaghi, Balochistan. The subservience of Pakistan to dignitaries from Gulf countries is coming at the cost of its valuable resources and natural treasures. The government must stop violating the law and not only learn to value the Houbara habitat, but also actively work for its conservation. It is important to take action against officials who issue permits in violation of the law. Our country’s endangered species cannot be put up for sale.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd,  2015.

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