Wildlife of Pakistan

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Focus on environment: The vanishing wildlife

By By Air Marshal Ayaz Ahmed Khan (Retd)

A civilised country guarantees security of life and honour of its citizens, preserves its flora fauna and conserves its birds and animals by proper laws, education and public awareness. In our criminalized society no one is safe any more. Human beings are routinely gunned down without remorse. Birds especially partridges, bustards and quails are shot and netted indiscriminately out of season. And forest mafias have destroyed forests so recklessly that thick jungles have been turned into deserts. When the law and order degrades both humans and animals suffer. While thousands of men, women and children have been gunned down by terrorists and sectarian killers who have yet to be dealt with properly, country's wildlife i.e. both birds and wild animals has been destroyed with a vengeance. VIPs hunt and kill precious and endangered leopards, black bears, Markhors, foxes, jackals, monkeys Chakors and Ramchakors and partridges with bloody relish. At the time of partition in August 1947 the deserts of Cholistan, the Thar and Thal had abundance of Neel cows, deer, bustards, partridges, while the Northern Areas were teeming with the wildlife. Even in the forests around Murree, Ayubia and Nathiagali wild fowls, Pheasants and leopards were occasionally sighted. Alas that is no more.

The colourful boards warning people not to kill leopards, monkeys, pheasants, Chakors and partridges on the roads of Abbottabad, Murree, Nathiagali and other tourist resorts are more for decoration and effect. No one cares that the endangered leopards, black bears and monkeys are being killed. The sight of hungry bears trapped from Ath Muqam and Lipa Valley in Azad Kashmir, and made to dance with "Nuqails" in their noses in the intense heat of Punjab does not evoke any sympathy or mercy. thousands of baby monkeys trapped and shackled in steel chains for life, and made to mimic or ride on trucks only evokes derisive laughter. The Pakistani society and culture is to be blamed for the contempt in which animals are held. Educating the public to love animals and birds and protect the threatened and near extinct wildlife should be the priority of every citizen of Pakistan. The efforts of the wildlife departments to save animals from extinction is a challenge because of their limited resources and the negative attitude of the public towards conservation and protection efforts.

Leopards have been in the news recently, and it is time that the public is made aware of the importance of protecting one of the most beautiful animals of the wild. Due to reckless hunting there are only a few leopards left in Pakistan. Common Leopards have survived in very small numbers in the Doonga Gali forest of the Ayubia National Park. Starving and hungry they stray into villages, and towns in search of food during winter months. The sight of a leopard creates unexplained terror. Leopard is called the lion in the Galiat area. Because of the dread and the urge to kill, the common leopard has become a threatened species in Pakistan. A few years back a leopard had strayed into a house in Satellite Town Rawalpindi in search of food. The frightened inmates informed the local police. Policemen reached and shot the leopard dead. It was so heartless. The few leopards alive in the wild are a prized wealth of Pakistan, and resolute effort must be made to ensure that they survive.

Some time back someone presented two leopard cubs to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He reprimanded the gift giver and handed over the cubs to Islamabad zoo, because their mother could not be traced. Four years back in Nathiagali during the month of December, I was informed that eight leopards were regular visitors to the Governor's House there. It was a cold winter evening when I reached the Governor's House. I saw lots of pug marks and leopard droppings in the back lawn. Some droppings proved that the leopards had been praying on dogs and monkeys. Reportedly two mother leopards and their six cubs were living in the vicinity. Last year a leopard had entered my neighbours goat shed and had killed his goat. Dogs had mysteriously disappeared from Malach, Mochidara suburb of Nathiagali. Leopards are fond of dog meat. Leopards were sighted on Kooza Gali-Doongagali road and near PAF Base Kalabagh near Nathiagali. Long time back one base commander reportedly shot a leopard dead near PAF Base Kalabagh. There has never been a report during the last fifty years of a leopard attacking a human being. The leopard in its distinct black and white spotted skin is on the run from its most dangerous predator - the man.

Even the remote habitat of the snow leopards has been infiltrated into by blood thirsty humans. The report from Chitral that three snow leopards had killed a Markhor in the Toshi Game Reserve on the Garam Chasma Road proved that the animal has returned to Chitral. The NWFP Wildlife Department had claimed that seven snow leopards were seen together in the Chitral Gole National Park. The snow leopard lives on the Markhor. Abdul Nawaz Khan DFO Wildlife Cell Chitral told news reporters that "there could be forty snow leopards in Chitral now". But this appears to be an exaggerated figure. DFO's statement that foreign hunters could be given permits to kill the snow leopard must be challenged and objected to. According to World Wildlife Organization the snow leopard is a threatened animal, and the number of snow leopards alive could be counted on the fingers. There is no question of issue of permits to VIPs of foreign hunters to kill snow leopards in Chitral or elsewhere in Pakistan.

A reporter in Abbottabad has created commotion by his daily reports (March 14, 15 and 17) about the unfortunate young leopard who unaware of the plight awaiting him had strayed into thickly populated Malikpura locality of Abbottabad city on Sunday morning of March 14, 1999. This leopard after charging at two boys jumped into a house and entered into the bathroom. Abdul Aziz the owner quickly locked the door, and telephoned the police. The local police accompanied by a Magistrate, Conservator of Forests and officials of the NWFP Wildlife Department soon arrived at the house. But the officials had come without a cage or a tranquillizer gun. Later Secretary Forests was contacted in Peshawar for help. Few hours later a special team of Wildlife officers reached Abbottabad with a tranquillizer gun and other equipment to stun and cage the leopard. In the evening the leopard was stunned by a tranquillizer shot, and the officials took the wild cat into their custody. This leopard was an eighteen months old male. It had descended into Malikpurs from the nearby Shimla Hill. They had planned to free this leopard in the Ayubia National Park at Galliyat near Nathiagali.

Next day i.e. on Monday March 15, 1999 the leopard escaped from the custody of the Wildlife Department officials and disappeared. The local people blame the officials for inefficiency. They alleged that the tranquillizer was adulterated. It could have killed the leopard. The police fired at the escaping animal and injured it. But it managed to get away. Authorities are requested to look into the matter. Forest departments handout said that the leopard had escaped into the nearby ravines when the large number of people gathered around the animal started shouting. Dr Mumtaz Malik Conservator Wildlife NWFP, who has earned a good name as an animal lover, told reporters that the leopard was given two heavy dozes of tranquillizer through the injector gun and was successfully caged. He blamed the disorderly and noisy crowd that caused the leopard to panic, and escape. He said that, "The police fired upon the leopard to save the people." But the general impression is that the police fired in panic and acted indecisively. It is unfortunate that police firing wounded the leopard. In the operation minor injuries were caused to a divisional forest officer (DFO) and to two children. The leopard was attacking no one, it was running for its life. It just wanted to get away. A special Wildlife team was formed to track the injured leopard with the help of trained dogs in the Shimla Hills and Kayal area near Abbottabad. The leopard is untraceable and most people feel that it might have died.

The Pakistani leopards have as much right to life as other inhabitants of Pakistan. To educate the readers, reproduced below is an extract from Encyclopedia Britanica: "The leopard formerly PARD (Leo pardus) also called Panther is a big cat closely related to the lion, tiger and other members of the cat family (Falidae). The name leopard was given to the cat now called Cheeta, which was believed to be a cross between lion and the pard. The term pard was eventually replaced by the name leopard. The leopard is found over nearly the whole of Africa south of the Sahara, in north east Africa, and from Asia minor, through central Asia, and Pakistan, Nepal, India to China and Manchuria. It varies greatly in size and markings. Its average size is: weight 50 to 90 Kg i.e. 110 to 200 pounds, length 84 inches, shoulder height 60 to 70 cm. Dark spots are generally arranged in rosettes over much of the body.

The leopard is a solitary animal of the bush and the forest, and is nocturnal in habit. It is an agile climber and frequently stores the remains of its kills in tree branches. It feeds upon any animal it can overpower i.e. from small rodents to water buck, medium sized goats, cattle, antelopes and deer. It has a special liking for dog as a food." In Galiat it eats monkeys and in Africa Baboons as well. The female produces two to three cubs after a gestation period of three months. The calls of the leopard vary and include a series of harsh coughs, throaty growls, and deep purring sound. Leopard is a tree climber and good swimmer. Leopard spotting, viewing by binoculars photographing and feeding would be interesting and a good sport. Killing and gunning down this beautiful animal is criminal. The few leopards in Pakistan deserve attention, because their survival is threatened. The provincial governments are requested to enact legislation to save the leopard, the black bear and the monkey. Fines and jail terms are suggested for trappers and killers.

 
Call of the Wild

By Bhagwandas

Until the middle of the last century, Sindh could boast of an environment conducive to wildlife. Sightings of leopards, gavial, blackbuck, the great Indian bustard, wild ass, hog deer, Sindh Ibex, Urial, wolf, fox, peacocks, crocodile, various species of birds, and reptiles were common and travellers to towns dotting rural Sindh often came across these animals roaming carelessly along the many dusty roads.

Though advancements in technology has facilitated mankind immensely, it is unfortunate that wildlife has also been endangered because of it. Hunting animals has been a prevalent practice since the Stone Age - first for food and then as part of an adventure - but wildlife still survived because many of the animals were necessary to maintain a natural infrastructure.   Pleasure hunting, at one time was restricted to the aristocracy who would flaunt their long-horned trophies of the Marcopolo Sheep, Sindh Ibex, or leopards and tiger skins on the walls of their drawing rooms. Later, the urban industrial class, which suddenly found itself swimming in money started following suit, perhaps in a bid to rub shoulders with the aristocracy. With the bureaucrats not wanting to be left behind, and also joining the hunting bandwagon, wildlife in this country lost all its chances of survival. While the rural aristocracy and sometimes the urban industrial class find themselves being prosecuted by the wildlife department - whenever the government wants to teach a lesson to its opponents - bureaucrats have so far not been punished for hunting mercilessly. Even if some small-time wildlife official registered a case of poaching against a high official, the report was always dismissed during investigations. Though a DIG, an SSP, a DC and many SDMs have been booked and waterfowl, birds, chinkaras, and other wildlife poached by them recovered, none of them has ever been convicted.

Even members of the judiciary have added to this apathy. An incident reminds one of a former chief justice of the Sindh High Court, Kamal Mansoor Alam, who was later elevated to the Supreme Court and then subsequently retired due to the PCO issue, who forcibly entered a restricted area in the border region. The Rangers manning the check-post wrote official letters to the federal interior ministry and other relevant departments to advise them that such respectable personalities must show respect for the law.

While influential persons have successfully played their part in gradually eliminating the wildlife of this country, successive governments on their part have also played havoc with the various protected areas like the Kirthar National Park, Haleji Lake (a wildlife sanctuary) and Lungh Lake (a game reserve). When Kirthar National Park (KNP) was faced with the threat of extinction of its animals nearly a decade ago, foreign donor agencies ensured precautionary steps, but the Sharif government at the time hardly batted an eyelid.

Among the obvious dangers faced by wildlife, one is the shrinking of its habitat and its subsequent degradation. The population explosion has resulted in the clearing of forests, and wilderness so that and could be used for residential, industrial and agricultural purposes. The rampant usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides contaminates the food-chain while the agricultural run-off pollutes water bodies, thus also affecting the wildlife of any given area.

Some of the wildlife species which have been eliminated or are under severe threat, have been detailed in this discourse to provide a clear picture about why attention needs to be focused on the need for conservation in this country.

 

Blackbuck:  

This species of deer roamed around in almost all the arid areas of Sindh, particularly in the Nara desert of Khairpur, in abundance. In the early part of the last century, a few animals were gifted to the state of Texas in the United States. Later, when poachers and ruthless hunters wiped out the entire blackbuck population from that very area. The blackbucks that had been previously gifted to America had been released into the wilderness and over the years had multiplied. Currently, they comprise over 50,000. When their number became sufficient, the Texas authorities started issuing permits for blackbuck hunting. When the Texan authorities were informed of the extinction of these animals from their habitat, a few pairs were re-sent to Sindh in the 1980s, so that they could be released in their original environment. The Sindh Wildlife Department started a captive breeding programme and now, though blackbucks have multiplied in number, they have not yet been released in the wild. Presently, they total approximately 2,000. They are kept in captivity at Khar Centre, Mahrano Centre, Lal Sunhara Park, Keti Jatoi and Mehar Khangarh.

 

Crocodiles:

These reptiles reside in the Nara Canal and many desert area wetlands in Sanghar, Nawabshah and adjoining districts. Due to the high value of crocodile skin, these are frequently killed by poachers. But, they are commonly found in their habitat. The SWD has also started a captive breeding project and the number of crocodiles is multiplying at breeding enclosures at the Khar Wildlife Research Centre and Haleji Lake. Some of these have also been released into Haleji Lake. This also acts as a deterrent for fishermen, who entered the lake at night and caught fish illegally.

 

Leopard:

This animal from the cat family was found in fairly large numbers in the arid zones of Kohistan and in the Thar desert bordering the deserts and the dry region of Rajasthan and the southern Punjab on the Indian side of the border. The last leopard in Pakistan was hunted in the mid 70s in the Kirthar range. However, in two separate incidents, the leopards, still living in fairly large numbers in the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary, on the other side of the border, crossed over and entered the Pakistani portion of the Thar Desert in the 90s. Since the animal was extinct in Pakistan, when it was sighted it should have been protected. But, on both the occasions, poachers killed these animals. And the poachers, rather than being punished, were awarded prizes and cash rewards by the Tharparkar district administration, which shows how much the concerned deputy commissioners of Tharparkar respected the law.

 

Sarus cranes:

These were found in large numbers in the Thar Desert and even in the Larkana district many decades ago. But gradually they were hunted down. Last year, only two pairs were sighted at the Nalyasar and Bhansar lakes in the Nagarparkar area of the Thar Desert. A policeman shot one of these rare birds and the other flew away. Until now, there has been no report of any more sightings though they are still found in big numbers on the Indian side.

 

Marine turtles:

Marine turtles have been declared as an endangered species as they are few in number and rare all over the world. Beaches in Karachi such as Hawkesbay and Sandspit are two of eleven such beaches where the two species of turtles - Green Turtles and Olive Ridley - come to lay eggs. The Sindh Wildlife Department initially responsible for the turtle conservation project, has stopped funding for this programme.

Turtles are tagged to study their migration pattern. A few SWD tagged turtles have been sighted in Indian coast of Gujrat, Iran, and even as far as Africa.

 

Sindh ibex and urial:

These rare animals found in the rocky mountains of the Kohistan were on the verge of extinction about a couple of decades ago, until their habitat in the Kirthar range was declared a protected area in the early 70s.

 

Indus dolphin:

The population of the Indus dolphin in the 170-kilometre Dolphin Reserve, which is the Indus river between the Guddu and Sukkur barrages, presently stands at nearly 500.

Despite living in a protected area, this species has not shown an increase in number because of water pollution, habitat destruction, etc. which might have affected the reproductive system of the Indus dolphin. Originally inhabitants of the sea, these dolphins that were captured in the rivers, adapted themselves to the silt-infested turbid river waters. They lost their eyesight but nature compensated them with a highly developed sonar system, which helps them navigate and find food.

Over a century ago, the Indus dolphin was found in large numbers in the Indus river between Attock and the Indus delta in Sindh, besides in Ravi, Satluj, Chenab and Jhelum rivers. Construction of barrages and dams have shrunk the habitat of the dolphin.

These dolphins sometimes slip away into the irrigation canals during the high flood in the monsoon season when the barrage gates are opened to maintain the water-level. At least 10 dolphin deaths - four males and six females - have been reported in Nara and Rohri canals of the Sukkur Barrage in the past five years.

 

Houbara bustards and falcons:

Both of these are migratory species that visit the country during the winter months to avoid the severe weather in their colder central Asian habitat. Rulers and their family members from the Gulf States are issued special houbara hunting permits. Falcons, which are used to hunt the houbaras, are netted and sold to the Arabs for Rs 5 million. It is a known fact that Arab royalty lets loose their highly pampered peregrine and saker falcons and enjoy deathly games while sitting in their air-conditioned four-wheel drive vehicles. The falcons bring back the half-eaten and profusely bleeding houbara back to their masters. Both houbara bustards and peregrine and saker falcons are highly endangered and rare and their hunting or trapping is banned under the law.

The Worldwide Fund for nature (WWF) started a campaign against houbara hunting by the Arabs a ew years ago, but it was called off when the government requested the WWF top executives - all of whom are top industrialists and businessmen - to call it off. The chief of WWF Pakistan, Mukhtar Ahmad Chaudhry has also established a Houbara Foundation and has set up a couple of houbara rescue and rehabilitation centres, one of which is in the Cholistan desert (Rahimyarkhan) - situated in-between the palace and the hunting area of Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahiyan of Abu Dhabi. The multi-million dollar foundation, according to Brigadier Mukhtar, is funded by, "some like-minded conservationists who do not want to be named."

 

The Kirthar Contention

By Zofeen T.Ebrahim

TA dab of green, with a sprinkling of yellow, white, purple and pink here and there and generous splashes of blue and brown all over. The picture is almost complete, but for its silence.

And yet the silence, some call it tranquillity that pervades, is broken, now and then, by the call of a partridge or the fluttering of a buzzard. The late evenings, nature lovers say, are more fascinating under the cloak of eternally starry nights - the way only Asian nights can be. That's Kirthar for you, in all its rustic glory. And what's more incredible, is that this National Park is only a couple of hours from Karachi, from the metropolis where people never tire of cribbing that it has nothing to offer except the sea.

And while most of us have never visited this park (the all-colour, attractive brochure by the Sindh Wildlife Management Board says: 'only two or three people visit the park every month!'), or know much about, it is suddenly making news and has come into the limelight.

Why has this sanctuary become a sudden concern for the environmentalists? It all started in 1997 when the Ministry of Petroleum granted the Dumbar Block Exploration Licence to Premier Exploration Pakistan Limited, for oil and gas explorations. The Dumbar Block encompasses almost all of Kirthar and the Mahal Kohistan Wildlife Sanctuary. The licence is subject to the usual condition of conducting, and abiding by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed exploration.

The Premier Exploration approached the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD), responsible for these areas, to lend cooperation. Initially, the SWD resisted these explorations and expressed concerns that this would affect the park's wildlife and environment.

They had based their protestations on the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972 (SWPO), Section 15, which prohibits "clearing or breaking up of any land for cultivation, mining or for any other purpose," the Sindh Wildlife Amendment Act 1993 and the notification of the Government of Sindh, 1997, which bans mining in national parks. According to an article published in the SDPI Research and News Bulletin (in 1999), Dr Shaheen Rafi Khan calls the SWPO "an ironclad constitutional safeguard."

The SWD approached the IUCN in 1997 for assistance in their case, which raised concerns on their behalf, foremost among these being that Kirthar is a Category II protected area.

And yet, this ironclad constitutional safety net is being violated with impunity. There is no federal legislation on national parks. As such the provincial wildlife act takes precedence over administrative decisions. In such a scenario, Premier-Shell is pressing for the exploration without receiving an NOC. Does this mean that Pakistani laws can be breached whenever needed?

At the moment, a Baseline Study (BSL), nearing its completion, is going on. Mr Mahboob Alam, Conservator, SWD, explains that a Baseline Study, "in itself an excellent study, is to update the inadequate scientific information about the park (the last full survey of the park was carried out in 1974). It is to explore the fauna, flora, water etc., that is in the park." But it should be restricted to just that, and should not lead to any other activities. According to some reliable sources, there have been furtive attempts at an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) going in parallel with the BSL.

The implications of the EIA are grave and there is a fine line of difference between BSL and EIA. While a BSL is legal, as according to Ali Qadir, "there's not enough information about the park and one needs to get technical information before deciding on any course of action," an EIA, being clandestinely conducted, means alarm bells have to be rung, say the conservationists. "We are not getting an EIA done," says Mr Mahboob Alam, conservator, SWD.

But are EIAs illegal? Some may argue that a research activity in itself cannot be deemed illegal. "That is not the argument here. An EIA is illegal if it will lead to mining and exploration, which are illegal activities," says Ali Qadir, Coordinator, Communications Unit, IUCN.

And herein lies the conflict. The NGOs maintain that mining or related activities are not allowed under the law, only an in-depth analysis of the park which should then form the basis of a management plan for the park.

A spokesman from the SWD, who has requested anonymity, has also categorically denied that any EIA is being conducted at Kirthar, or that anyone has been given a contract. But in a letter to IUCN, Basit Khan, Senior Environmentalist, Premier-Shell Pakistan B.V., says, "The government of Pakistan selected Agra Earth and Environmental in Canada, as the consultants for the EIA in the Sindh Protected Area of the Dumbar Concession." According to Ali Qadir, "Agra E&E wanted to meet us, but we declined. We are very disappointed about the initiation of this activity. We were assured that any decision on EIA would be taken up after the completion of the BSL and on the basis of its results."

To have a discourse with the stakeholders and the conservationists, a high-level committee - the Dumbar El Committee - chaired by the chief secretary, Sindh, was formed. The committees' ToRs said that it could, "suggest such amendments/modifications in the existing law, rules and regulations as would facilitate conduct of the seismic survey and related operations for oil and gas in the protected areas, including Kirthar National Park." IUCN, WWF, SWD, Directorate General Petroleum Concessions, EPA and Premier Exploration Pakistan Ltd., were all invited to form this committee.

After attending the first meeting, the IUCN, suspecting foul play, pulled out from the committee on the premise that it would not be "part of any process that would legitimize mining activities that are illegal under the current legislation. It expressed the desire to strengthen the laws of conservation by following them, not amending them as and when convenient." Even WWF objected to the government's desire to "exploit natural resources" at the cost of annihilating the protected park.

To appease the conservationists, or so it seems, the government then came up with a consultative workshop, organized by the SWD in which the stakeholders included concerned citizen's group, Government of Pakistan/Sindh, Premier-Shell and Hawthorn Consulting Group - associated with the University of Melbourne. Amendments were made to firm up the ToRs for the BSL.

After this workshop there was complete silence from the government side. "The amended ToRs thus finalized were never circulated, nor was the tri-party contract," says Ali Qadir. "It's of utmost concern and quite frankly we are outraged by all this," says Farhan Anwar, Convener, National Committee on Kirthar Project, IUCN-Pakistan, and adds, "what is even more alarming is that while 75 per cent of the work is done, the contract has not even been signed by the GoS as yet since its Law Department has not approved it." The SWD spokesperson counters this by saying, "While the procedural activities and modalities take time, it was decided to carry on with the field work. This conditional approval was granted by the GoS," says the SWD official.

Paradoxically, while modalities take ages in government offices, the same government is in a hurry to carry out the EIA. This is beyond the comprehension of the conservationist. "The Kirthar oil and gas reserves, if there are any, will remain there, so why the haste in carrying out an EIA when the BSL has not been completed? This impatience is unjustifiable," says Farhan Anwar.

To lend some transparency to the BSL and "for checks and balances," it was agreed to form a multi-stakeholder's project steering committee (PSC) chaired by the Chief Secretary, Sindh, and a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to monitor and facilitate the process of independent analysis and evaluation as well as to safeguard the integrity of the process.

Ironically, the PSC formed never met and TAG only once. "Not once has the PSC sat," says Farhan Anwar. Why didn't the stakeholders ever propel the government to activate it? Ali Qadir responds, "We did, but in the end it's the government who has to take the initiative." Somehow, all this reeks of government apathy and their other surreptitious acts.

Is the concern of the conservationists not legitimate? "Their concern is quite rightful because the law, if not amended, means it is violated. If there have to be changes, a de-notification should be issued and that if the door is open for Kirthar, then it will set a precedence for other protected areas," says a government official. "There are 15 other national parks and once the law is amended, it can mean trailblazing exploitation in other areas too," fears Ali Qadir.

The clause which is being manipulated by the latter does, however, say that the government may, for scientific purposes, allow prohibited acts. But, writes Shaheen Rafi Khan, "Given the inevitable destruction of park resources that follows exploration - both, underground and above ground - betterment can mean no more than the control and repair of damage already inflicted."

"How come they never cried hoarse over rampant cultivation in this area which is banned? The ecology is being exploited by the locals and management of the park is almost non-existent," says the SWD official. "That's incorrect. We have been concerned about protected parks since a long time and have been closely working with the government. Our stance is being misconstrued as being anti-development. We say development has to be sustainable," says Ali Qadir. And if flagrant violations are being committed in the protected area, "only SWD is responsible for its curtailment, it cannot absolve itself," he adds. "But that is not a priority with the government which means we don't have funds, not even a single rupee to put into such activities," says the government official resignedly.

His other contention is that the local people, a tribal population want them to pursue mining for oil and gas immediately. "Their expectations have been raised. They hope to gain from the exploration - hospitals, schools and, most of all, jobs.

In fact, Malik Asad Sikander, former MNA and a member of the SWMB, is fully involved in the BSL going on. "But the conservationists argue that these sweeteners spring from ulterior motives rather than pure altruism. And is there any clause by which they can benefit from the gas reserves if there are any? How will the distribution of resources be channelized, this licence having been given by the federal and not the provincial government, is what Ali Ercelawn of Creed is asking?

"Going by the example of Sui, there is little likelihood that gas connections would be provided to these rural areas," says our informer from the government rather diffidently. And thus, the environmentalists score another point when they say, this too negates the development argument and that greed is covered up in the garb of development.

The government, which is relentless in its pursuit for exploration, is making no bones about it, even to the extent, that if it means amendments in the law, it will go ahead with it. The Sindh EPA has been surprisingly a silent spectator all along and the role of the Sindh Law Department as well as the Sindh Governor seems to have been steam-rolled by the federal government.

The developers have also taken the government in their confidence and avow that scientific mining technologies have advanced so much that the fear that it might trigger adverse environmental impacts, is ill-founded. On the other hand, the conservationists say, "if gas flaring and pipeline explosions can occur in developed countries, the likelihood of such accidents in our country is far more."

So this war of words goes on while the government, indifferent to all the controversy, carries on with its search for gold. The conservationists have once more donned their combat fatigues and jumped headlong - dialogues, agreements, lobbying and sending statements of concern, getting endorsements from concerned NGOs, etc. They say that, "there has been a violation of the trust between the government and the conservationists which started in 1997."

Astonishingly, there has been no public outrage, no involvement whatsoever over this sensitive issue. In fact, there is no public opinion on it. And how can there be one when they do not know much about the park? They don't know the consequences of development at the cost of ecological destruction. It has never been made a tourist attraction. And now, when so much is happening, even the stakeholders have been alienated, the issue has smoothly been taken out of the hands of the provincial government to be disposed of as the federal government pleases.

 

Can we protect the wildlife of Kirthar National Park?

SALEKA ENVER

Attack and defence strategies are being formulated, while strategic retreat is also an option. Alliances are being formed and battle fronts are being surveyed as the combatants manoeuvre for tactical positions.

No, it is not India and Pakistan that are preparing for (yet another!) military confrontation, rather it is the conservationists and developers who are looked, eyeball to eyeball in a different kind of war theatre - The Kirthar National Park.

As the fate of this magnificent nature reserve, which offers a panorama of pristine arid land of vast spaces, clean air, wide undulating valleys and rugged hills hangs in balance, we try to identify as to who are the combatants and what are the causes of tension and conflict in this classic debate which promises to test the limits of conservation needs and resource development in our country.

Kirthar National Park is a protected area spread over 1192 square miles situated in Pakistan's south eastern province of Sindh, 80 kilometres north of Karachi city. Kirthar, designated as a National Park in 1974, also figures in the United Nations listing of National Parks of 1974. It was the first Pakistani park to be listed as such. So, why is such a sanctuary subject to a national controversy? It is so, because of events which began to unfold in July 1997, when the Ministry of Petroleum (Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions) granted the Dumbar Block Exploration License to Premier Exploration Pakistan Ltd.

As the Dumbar Block encompasses more than 90 percent of the Kirthar National Park and Mahal Kohistan Wildlife Sanctuary, the move was initially resisted by the Sindh Forest and Wildlife Department (SFWD), who are responsible for the areas management. SFWD expressed grave concern about the negative effects of any oil and gas exploration activities on the parks wildlife and environment.

They referred to legislation prohibiting such activities in a protected area. These include the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972, Sindh Wildlife Amendment Act 1993 and the relevant notifications of the Sindh Government in 1997. Some NGOs like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) also raised concerns. (Kirthar qualifies for the criteria fixed by IUCN as a Category II protected area). The matter remained in the doldrums until recently, the former Governor of Sindh, Lieutenant General Moinuddin Haider set up a high level committee (chaired now by the Chief Secretary, Sindh to address the issue and take action. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and IUCN were also included in the committee. However, IUCN later declined to participate in the process citing its disapproval of some sections of the Committee. TOR which suggested moves to look into the possibility of suitably amending the relevant legislation, to facilitate the process of mining for oil and gas in the Dumbar Concession.

Prior to this meeting, Premier Exploration had merged with the powerful Shell Oil Group internationally, thereby adding considerable clout in their operations. The first meeting of the Committee was held on 24th July 1999, in which the need to meet the pending energy needs of the country was emphasised and it was decided that the Government of Pakistan would appoint an independent environmental consultant through an open bidding process to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to establish the present ecological status of the park. This is to be followed by an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) which would look into the impacts of exploration activities on the parks environment and suggest mitigation measures. This is how matters stand at present. However, while SFWD still has reservations on the issue, the NGOs have openly objected to the steps being taken by the GOP-Oil Companies combine. Seven NGOs based all over the country, have jointly endorsed a plan of action aimed at preserving the protected status of the park. This group includes WWF, Sungi Development Foundation, SDPI, PILER, Creed Alliance, Aurat Foundation and Shirkat Gah.They stress that in the presence of clearly worded legislation prohibiting mining activities in protected areas, the government cannot allow for gas exploration activities to take place in the Kirthar National Park and any decision to permit the initiation of an EIA study would imply agreement with the project in principle, against which the NGOs hold strong reservations. The NGO group instead propose the preparation of an in-depth neutral study which prepares a management plan for the park from the point of conservation. This they emphasise is different from the study suggested by the government, which is activity specific. IUCN, more or less favour this line of action, however, they appear to leave the room open for possible future development activities in the park, subject to intensive study and analysis of the parks environment and identification of potentially highly sensitive ecological areas. It is quoted from IUCN's "Brief Case Study on Exploration for Gas in Kirthar National Park".

"The study can survey the status of the park, and - based on the findings - possibly recommend certain geographical areas to be prioritised for conservation. Following these recommendations, a plan can be formulated for management of the park, and subsequent monitoring by an independent body. The plan can also lay out a framework for conducting development activities in certain zones based on the results of the in-depth study." Apart from the information available in the two promotional videos prepared on the subject by Premier Shell Exploration, the group has declined to go public with their position particularly of late. They apparently stick to their previous stated position that firstly such a project is the need of Pakistan as Pakistan's existing gas reserves are declining sharply, discovery and development of large gas reserves would reduce Pakistan's dependence on expensive imported sulphur oil, the consumer would pay less for consuming gas as compared to oil and also that natural gas is a much more environment friendly fuel source as compared to oil. Premier-Shell also say that the method of drilling that they would employ (deviated drilling) would drastically reduce the possibility of environmental damage and sensitive ecological areas would be fully protected. They also hold out the option, that given a chance, they would turn the Kirthar National Park into a functional world class nature reserve.So where does all this information leads us to and what could be a possible solution to this apparent dead lock? It has to be stated that in the presence of prohibitive legislation, no exploration activity can be allowed to take place in the park. But what if the law is amended, as is evidently the desire of the government? What tangible guarantee can the Shell-Premier Exploration Group offer that no damage will be caused to the park's ecology and what penalties will be imposed if such is not the case? This is a question which remains to be answered.

Then there is the question of meeting the concerns of the various conservation groups and NGOs. Is there a precedent to such a situation where the activities of conservation and development go hand in hand? Maybe an analysis could be made of the experiences of the US National Wildlife and Refuge Service, where in the protected nature refuge reserves of the US "secondary uses", such an mining operation are allowed. It is also a matter of some concern that the public at large has not exhibited a high level of involvement in this issue. However, there are valid reasons to explain this behaviour. The best guarantee that a facility like the Kirthar National Park could get for its protection is that it becomes a public issue. But how can it become a mass level public issue when a vast majority of the masses know next to nothing about the park. It is pertinent to askat this stage of the SFWD officials, what efforts have they made over the years to develop and popularise this park .Most people do not even know how to get to the park, let alone know what's inside it! and this, when the park is located just a few hours drive from the most densely populated sector of Pakistan - Karachi. It has been reported that on an average, two to three persons visit the park every month! It has also been reported somewhere that the Josimite National Park in California is visited every year by about 4 million people!! Also, what efforts are made to protect and monitor Kirthar National Park's wildlife and what revenue is generated from this vast nature reserve annually? Surely, the answers to these questions will put us all to shame. No wonder, apart from a few die hard NGOs nobody seems to be bothered. It is an issue on which the whole of Karachi and the rest of Pakistan should have stood up and said, "we want to save this park",!

The answers to issues where the concerns for conservation and development clash are not simple. Various complex inter-relationships have to be established and sustained between political, social, economic, technical and environmental facets of the debate. As the pro and anti project camps manoeuvre for position, what has to be realised is that the ultimate beneficiaries of any action taken by the government would have to be the people of the state. Sane heads are needed at this important hour of decision capable of maintaining the critical balance between conservation concerns and issues of national development to the benefit of all concerned.

 

Basic facts:

Kirthar was designated as a National Park by the Sindh Forestry and Wildlife Department in 1974, following a study on Pakistan's wildlife and protected areas by Guy Montfort and Dr Duncan Poore in 1968. It is the first of Pakistan's parks to be included in the United Nation's listing of National Parks of 1975, a status reaffirmed in 1997. The park, spread over 1192 square miles, offers a varied terrain rising to 3294 feet at Karchat mountains and sinking to 230 feet above sea level at Hub Dam, in the south west extremity of the park. Some 10,500 people live permanently in the park in 93 villages. Twenty of these fall in the Karachi District and 73 in Dadu district.

Twenty six principal species of mammals are believed to occur in the park including Sindh Wild Goat (Sarah or Ibex) Sheep (Urial or Gad) Chinkara Gazelle, Jackal, Fox, Stripped Hyena, Desert Wolf, Jungle Cats, Leopard, Hedgehog, Pangolin, Porcupine, Badger and Mongoose. The family of reptiles is also well represented here. Large Monitor Lizards, Geckos, Turtles, Tortoises, among other species are not an uncommon sight here. About 58 varieties of birds also find habitat in the park. Apart from wildlife sightings, the park, also offers some other unique picnic spots. Hub Dam and lake, Pakistan's third largest Dam after Tarbela and Mangla is located within the park confines.

The largest of the world's historic forts "Rannikot Fort", also straddles the hills of the Kirthar range. The tombs at Taung, similar in their construction to the famous Makli Hills tombs in Thatta are another attraction, while prehistoric archaeological remains of habitation near Koh-Tarash are also located in the Park area.--Courtesy: Shehri

 

Hosting the hunter

Can we stage an inhuman hunting 'tamasha', a falcon festival, where the target will be priceless and endangered migratory birds, asks Zaffarullah Khan.

The volume of illegal trade of falcons involving Pakistani dealers is around Rs. 1 billion per year, confessed the country's top falcon dealers at a recent meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on tourism. These dealers had been invited to present suggestions for a proposed international falcon festival in November 1999, but they chose the occasion to lobby for concessions and legal cover for their much-maligned trade. "Owing to increasing tight controls in Pakistan, the nucleus of falcon trade has shifted to Afghanistan. We pay about Rs 10,000 per bird at Kandahar Airport and can send any number of falcons to a desired destination," one of them revealed.

On the other hand, in Pakistan, these falcon dealers have to obtain export permits from the prime minister and the Environment Ministry and the two hardly ever entertains such requests these days. Last year only 250 permits allowing the capture of falcons were issued. Similarly for the inter-provincial movement of falcons, a tax of Rs. 20,000 per bird has been imposed. Earlier this tax was much less. "We pay just Rs. 2,000 to a junior employee of the Wildlife Department to get through as many birds as we want," said another dealer present at the meeting, and urged for more rational taxes. Yet another interesting confession was about the bribes that a dealer has to pay for a falcon to change hands _ between a poacher and a buyer. "It costs us about Rs 60,000-70,000 per bird, but a successful deal fetches us as much as Rs 20 lakh per bird," said a falcon dealer from Balochistan.

There were no signs that the dealers were in any way ashamed of their illegal trade of endangered species. Instead, all they were concerned about was the smuggling, in large numbers, of another endangered migratory bird -- houbara bustard -- to Dubai in motor launches. They feared that if the smuggling of houbara bustard was not checked, falcons -- another migratory bird which follows the Siberian-Kazakhstan-Indus route -- would not come to Pakistan. Last year the customs authorities had frustrated at least five attempts to smuggle over 500 houbara bustards at various airports and along the coastal areas. But they couldn't catch even a single smuggler. The dealers also expressed reservations about the holding of the Falcon Festival, for which Qila Saifullah in Zhob has been proposed as the venue. "We have allotted the whole of Pakistan to three to four Sheikhs from the oil-rich Gulf countries. And when the season begins every year in September it is these Sheikhs who exercise their right first," maintained a dealer. Another dealer suggested allowing at least 200 Sheikhs to hunt in Pakistan, and regretted that "we can't extend to these guests the kind of luxuries Morocco and Mexico offer them." The government's desire to hold a falcon festival raises a number of questions. Can we stage an inhuman hunting 'tamasha' where the target will be priceless and endangered migratory birds? Will it not be just another cruel show like dog fighting or bear fighting? Already, competitions where Ibex (Markhor) hunters are awarded trophies have earned the country a lot of criticism. Whether the meeting will lead to the holding of a successful festival or not, it managed to highlight the illegal falcon trade in our country.

What is more, it placed the facts on official record. Pakistan is a signatory to at least three conventions pertaining respectively to the protection of bio-diversity, creation and protection of wetlands (RAMSAR convention) and ban on illegal trade of endangered species (CITES). However, in the absence of the strict enforcement of these conventions and because of the fact that we lack a set of domestic wildlife protection laws, illegal bird trade thrives. Meanwhile, the falcon poachers remain out of the reach of law enforcers. Last year poachers working on behest of a falcon dealer from Kharan (Balochistan) in Deosai National Park in the Northern Areas physically assaulted Ghulam Nabi -- a volunteer conservationist from District Diamer. "I have worked for a birds' dealer who has a private zoo in Dera Ismail Khan. Nobody can touch such people because they have the political power and money to influence the law enforcers," confided an ex-poacher who did not want to be named, but was willing to talk to The News on Sunday. "In Pakistan we used to catch falcons by using huge net-traps and by using pieces of meat as bait. We also used to smuggle in falcons from the Central Asian countries. We would take a shikra -- a local bird that bears striking resemblance to a falcon -- to Central Asia and have its arrival officially recorded. On the return journey the shikra would be replaced by a falcon, and easily taken past the customs. The trip used to cost us Rs 50,000-60,000, while it earned our dealer up to Rs 2.5 million", he said. Though the poachers are the ones who catch the falcons, it the dealers who make the big money. Not every poacher can tell one breed of the falcon from another. They can barely tell a peregrine from a saker or a tawny eagle. It is the dealer who is aware of the real value of a bird, and can earn from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 20 lakh per bird. According to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) no country can illegally trap or catch migratory birds. They are treated as transitory guests. If one has to catch a few then all countries (especially the home country of that bird) have to be taken into confidence and the exact number of caught birds has to be revealed. In Pakistan, hospitality is an unaffordable convention when it comes to hosting a bunch of falcons or houbara bustards. It is the hunters we take pride in playing host to. (from the THE NEWS ON SUNDAY)

 

 

End of conservation?

Pakistan's mangroves are the world's largest arid climate mangrove forests. However, they face serious threats --now perhaps more than ever. Shahzeb Jillani visits the Indus Delta mangroves to learn about their threatened future.

It was a warm sunny mid-June afternoon. The air was fresh and the atmosphere calm. We were splashing our way through the narrow channels in the Korangi creek system. The main object of attraction were the dark green forests on our sides. Due to high tide, they seemed half submerged in the mix of sweet and saline water considered natural breeding ground for trees otherwise threatened with continued degradation and depletion. Our boat, with some 15 people on board, was one of the three carrying participants of a three-day national workshop on 'Mangrove ecosystem dynamics of the Indus Delta' (June 14-16). The moot which attracted conservationists -- official and non-official -- from all over the country was the first of its kind. Our day-long visit to the mangrove forests of Korangi/Phitti creek site off village Rehri, Karachi, was a part of the national workshop. The main idea was to acquire first hand information about conservation efforts undertaken by the Sindh forest department with funding from the World Bank.

The Bank first approved and released funding for a seven-year soft loan for the rehabilitation and replanting of depleting Indus Delta mangroves in 1992-93. The project worth Rs 83.094 million -- with Rs 72.854 provided by the Bank while the rest by Sindh government -- was approved by the WB under its umbrella project Pakistan Environmental Protection & Resource Conservation Project (EPRCP). "During the last seven years of the project, we have replanted and rehabilitated about 16,000 hectares of mangrove forests," informed Najamuddin Vistro, a forest department official presently working in the coastal forest division. He seemed most eager to make sure that we take a look at each and every row of young mangroves planted by the forest department under the World Bank project. "Seeing is believing," he said while urging his visitors to keep their eyes fixed on the rows of young Rhizophora species. Most of Pakistan's mangrove forest area -- about 90 percent -- is however dominated by Avicennia marina specie called 'Timer' in Sindhi. "We want you to see with your own eyes whether the purpose of the WB project has been achieved or not," he further said. Yes, it was encouraging to see such large scale replantation efforts. Yet, some critics believed that much more could have been achieved with the amount of money provided by the WB. In particular, they did not seem satisfied with the high costs of plantation exercise as devised by the forest department officials. "No doubt the department has done a good job," commented one conservationist, "but they could have certainly done more with the kind of money that was at their disposal," he further said. But whatever little the department has achieved in the last seven years may be lost because the funding for the project has dried up. And it seems as if hardly any more funding is in the pipeline. "As long as the project was underway, something positive was happening," said one forest department official, "but with the end of the WB project this year, the sustainability of our efforts has become questionable," he feared. For one, there is apprehension that the cash-strapped Sindh government may not be able to provide funds for even the maintenance of the new plantations. Conservationist and forest department officials are hence desperate for funding so that their efforts do not go waste. The WB funded project was initiated to reverse the deforestation and degeneration process which has become common among mangrove ecosystems all over the world. In Pakistan, mangroves have been faced with serious threats due to a variety of factors like rising pollution from the industries and effluent discharges by municipal bodies.

According to recent tests carried out on the local fish species, experts from National Institute of Oceanography confirmed that "the mangrove environment in the vicinity of Korangi Creek is under considerable stress from industrial and urban pollution" as the fish have been found to be contaminated with toxic pollutant and heavy metals. Besides pollution due to industry and urbanisation, over exploitation of the trees by the local communities has been a major threat to the very existence of the mangrove forests. "People living in and around the delta have been using the mangrove wood as fuel and leaves as fodder for camels and cattle," said Tahir Qureshi of IUCN-Karachi. With funding by NORAD and support from Sindh forest department, the World Conservation Union has been active with mangrove replantation in the Korangi Creek area since 1987. "We have done pioneering work in developing infrastructure and expertise for mangrove conservation in Pakistan. With our low cost techniques, we have rehabilitated some 3,000 hectares of mangrove forests near Karachi," he claimed. When asked for the amount of money IUCN has so far spent on its mangrove projects, Tahir Qureshi said he couldn't recall the amount. Nevertheless, grazing and harvesting have contributed majorly towards the decline in mangrove forests. In the absence of gas supply or alternative fuel, local dwellers have traditionally benefited from mangrove wood and leaves. Though, in recent years, few pilot projects have been initiated by NGOs and local CBOs for environmental awareness, involvement of the local communities in the conservation efforts remains negligible. WWF-Pakistan is one international environmental group which has been working for mangrove conservation through community involvement. With a particular aim of spreading environmental education, WWF has been working with the coastal community in the Somiani area. "As a result of our on-going program, last year, the locals planted about two hectares of mangroves," claimed Najam Khursheed of WWF-Karachi. He said his organisation plans to rehabilitate a total of about 150 hectares of mangrove trees, out of which 80 hectares have been replanted already. When asked for the amount of money WWF-Pakistan has spent on its mangrove conservation projects, he, like the IUCN representative, couldn't recall the amount. Replantation efforts aside, by far, the biggest threat to the subsequent destruction of mangroves has been the decreased flow of water in the Indus River. The growth of mangroves happens to be directly related to the amount of freshwater available to them. When the proportion of the freshwater decreases substantially, as in the case of our mangroves, their growth is retarded. According to the 1991 Indus Water Accord, the federal government apportioned Indus water between provinces and allowed a meagre amount of 10 million-acre-feet (MAF) to be discharged into the delta. "The amount is less than the 35 MAF available before the Accord and much less than 150 MAF available decades ago before the construction of the dams," maintained Samina Khalil of Applied Economics Research Institute, Karachi. Experts maintain that after the creation of Pakistan, the construction of dams and barrages for irrigation purposes has substantially reduced the flow of freshwater. This has further reduced the downstream supply of nutrient-rich alluvium in the Indus Delta. Consequently, salinity has increased in the region, leading to an obvious decline in mangrove forests. By and large, the seven-year WB project has clearly failed to address all of the above mentioned threats to the mangroves of Pakistan. This is primarily because the main focus of the project was replantation and rehabilitation.

Addressing the real threats to the mangroves may have been out of the scope of the project. But many believe that unless top decision makers are made aware of the importance of these national resources, ever persistent threats to the mangroves will only get more serious with time. Release of more water in the Indus Delta, controlling industrial and urban pollution from Karachi and providing basic necessities of life to the poor coastal communities are steps which ought to be taken on the top leadership level. Unless these vital issues are properly addressed, efforts like WB-funded projects and small scale NGO activities will not be enough to secure the future of these depleting forests.

 

 

Why save these wild trees?

The conservation of mangrove forests along the Sindh-Balochistan coast is unavoidable for many reasons... "Conservation is a state of harmony between man and land. By land is meant all of the things on, over, or in the earth. Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left." -Renowned American ecologist Aldo Leopold

The Indus Delta mangroves enjoy a unique cultural value in the history, art, literature and poetry of Sindhi fisherfolks as these forests remain an essential part of the traditional coastal lifestyle. The many folk tales and poetic depth of Sur Sammondee (rhythm of ocean) are just some of the examples of its cultural significance and relevance to the people of Sindh. Besides supporting the livelihood of poor coastal communities, Indus Delta mangroves play a vital economic role in sustaining the productivity of inshore and offshore fisheries. They provide shelter and nurseries for commercial fishery species like shrimps. "Pakistan's thriving shrimp fishery, which almost entirely depends upon the mangrove ecosystem, earns some US $100 million annually," according to Samina Khalil of Applied Economics Research Institute, Karachi. However, perhaps the least appreciated function of the Indus Delta mangroves is the protection cover they provide to the coastline from wind and ocean currents.

According to Dr Lekhraj Kella, conservator of forest, like hill forests and riverine forests, which reduce the intensity of flooding and erosion, mangrove alleviate the intensity of cyclones in coastal belts. Taking the recent devastation of Sindh's coastal areas by Cyclone 2-A as a case in point, Dr Kella said, "The loss to the life and property would have been minimized if there would have been fully covered flexible barrier of mangroves. Already, it is learnt that the intensity of damage was less in the areas with established mangroves. People who tied themselves and their boats to the mangrove trees saved their lives and property as compared to those who lived in mangrove deforested areas." Besides, mangroves provide a number of priceless services which are little appreciated most policy makers. Mangrove forests along Karachi coastal areas serve as "lungs" for the ever increasing population of the city. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen in the air. They further absorb pollutants and waste water discharges dumped in the sea via Lyari and Malir rivers by the industry, as well as the municipal bodies. The mangrove ecosystem hence serves as a natural sink for domestic and industrial effluents and, to a certain extent, helps contain the spread of pollution in the coastline vicinity. Then, there is the importance of mangrove ecosystem as home to a variety of flora and fauna. Indus Delta mangroves are home to numerous kinds of fish, shrimps, crabs, birds, reptiles, worms, insects and other living organisms which comprise the colourful diversity of the planet. In Pakistan's Indus Delta mangroves, while some of these species are known, like khunka (mud crab), there is an entire unknown world of bio-diversity waiting to be explored by biologists, ecologists and those interested in nature. – Shahzeb Jillani

 

Houbara Bustard Endangered

Shahzeb Jillani

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has appealed to wildlife authorities in Pakistan to clamp down on parties guilty of illegally hunting the houbara bustard which is a species protected by legislation in the country. The appeal has been prompted by the start of the annual migration season of the bird from Central Asia to warmer southern climes and the approach of the hunting season. After reducing the bird to extinction in their own lands, Arab falconers appear bent upon exterminating the dwindling stock of houbara bustards wintering in Pakistan every year. If the indiscriminate slaughter (and smuggling to the Gulf states) of the houbara bustard continues unabated, it will only be a matter of time before all evidence of this migratory species is wiped out in the country. Unfortunately, the authorities in flouting both domestic legislation and international conventions with regard to the endangered status of the bird are only encouraging the systematic decimation of the houbara bustard.

While the government, according to one conservationist, has claimed that not a single houbara hunting permit has been issued to foreign dignitaries this year, it is widely known that these hunters have frequently arrived in the country on state invitation to pursue their game. In other cases, even well-meaning wildlife officials are reluctant to take on the landed class which frequently arranges private hunting parties for these dignitaries. When the government itself appears unwilling to protect this endangered bird species, and, what is worse, does not seem to comprehend the gravity of the situation, then there is very little that can be expected in the way of stringent enforcement of the law. Under the circumstances, the most effective way to counter the growing threat of extinction of the houbara would be to mobilize public opinion against government inaction.

The media and wildlife and environment organizations should launch a concerted campaign aimed at raising the level of public awareness about this issue, and encourage community participation in houbara conservation projects. There is also the need for more local research leading to documented data on the houbara bustard which would help in raising awareness about the bird and the threat to its survival. This is bound to be a difficult task as wildlife is ranked low on the national agenda. Still, the message must be brought home that the extinction of the houbara in Pakistan would have the effect, however small, of upsetting the delicate ecological balance in the areas which serve as the bird's home for several months. – Shahzeb Jillani.

 

Who will win?

By Bhagwanda

Khirthar National Park is a protected area situated eighty kilometres north of Karachi. It was designated as a National Park in 1974 and features on the United Nations listing of National Parks of 1975. But this National Park is once again under threat as the federal government, without giving any consideration to the legal ramifications, has allotted the area to a petroleum company for oil and gas exploration. It was only a few years ago when the government had to change its plans when a road project was proposed which crisscrossed the park. In this present instance, the federal petroleum ministry has granted the Dumber Block Exploration License (2567-1) to a British petroleum company, PremierOil, without looking into the fact that the area allotted comprises nearly 95 per cent of the Khirthar National Park and the Mahal Kohistan Wildlife Sanctuary. When PremierOil received the allotment order, it requested the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) to provide baseline information regarding the identification of sensitive areas within the park and other relevant information so that it would be able to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

The Sindh Wildlife Department which controls and maintains the Khirthar National Park informed the oil company that oil drilling and other such related commercial activities could not be carried out in the park, which was protected under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Act. The SWD maintained that National Conservation Strategy (NCS) lent priority to the protection of the environment and wildlife, whereas the oil exploration exercise, including seismic surveys, drilling and movement of heavy machinery would not only disturb the wild animals but also destroy their habitat. From the legal standpoint, upsetting these animals or birds, destroying vegetation and clearing and breaking up land for mining or for any other purpose in a national park is prohibited under Section 14 and 15 of the Sindh Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 1993. Besides, the Sindh government has also imposed a ban on all mining activities in protected areas including the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The oil company could not figure out that while the federal government had allotted them area for oil and gas drilling, the provincial government, rather than facilitating them, was denying them the opportunity to conduct such work in the area. Various non governmental organizations working for the improvement of the environment - like the IUCN, - the World Conservation Union, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), etc, also raised their concerns and urged the government to withdraw its allotment order to PremierOil.

Finally, executives of the oil company and its Islamabad based consultants, along with wildlife and other related field experts, came to Karachi, hired an Edhi helicopter, flew into the Khirthar National Park without prior permission from the Sindh Wildlife Department, to carry out the environmental impact assessment for its proposed oil and gas exploration and subsequent drilling. Under the allotment order, issued by the federal ministry, the oil company had to carry out the EIA and submit it to the ministry before starting its drilling related activities. The oil company was embarrassed when news regarding its consultants going into the park without the wildlife department's permission was printed in the media; they could not carry out their work because they arrived at the Karchat Wildlife Research centre in the park to be informed that the presence of outlaws had been reported in the area. They immediately decided to return to Karachi by road the following day. Eventually at a meeting in the Sindh governor's house -attended by various officers, and representatives of the IUCN, WWF, etc, it was decided to form a committee to solve the issue. The conditions stated included suggesting suitable amendments and modifications in the existing laws, rules and regulations that would facilitate the conduction of a seismic survey and related operations in protected areas including Khirthar National Park; to allow for all such measures including an environment management plan and environmental impact assessment by independent consultants, as would ensure the safety of the environment in and around the Khirthar National Park before and after conducting a seismic survey and other related operations for oil and gas exploration. The committee has decided that an independent consultant would be appointed to carry out the EIA in the park. IUCN has resigned from the committee as it maintains that "apparently the decision has already been taken for oil and gas exploration to proceed, and the committee will only be seeking ways and means to legalize it. We cannot be a part to a process that aims at bending or undoing legislation to legalize what would otherwise be illegal". However, PremierOil on its part maintains that it does not intend to disturb the eco-system; will take absolute care in its operations and will not harm the wildlife in the park. The company might also invest funds for the improvement and upliftment of the park.

This is the second time in a few years that another blatant attempt is being made to violate the Khirthar National Park laws. It was not very long ago that the government wanted to construct the Indus Highway connecting Karachi to Peshawar and have a segment of the highway pass through the park bisecting it. It was then, that the wildlife department resisted and was supported by the IUCN, the WWF and other NGOs. But the government was adamant to continue until the Japanese government, which was funding the project, put its foot down and refused to release the funds until the dispute was settled and the conservation of nature was not sacrificed. Assistance from the IUCN was sought and it suggested that the highway be re-routed outside the park. The fund-starved government having no choice yielded and the highway was constructed outside the park. This time, however, the future of the park appears grim because the project will be funded by a commercial company, which expects to obtain huge profits from the area if hydro-carbon deposits are unearthed. Environmental conservationists fear because almost half (49.90 per cent) of the oil exploration company is owned by the giant, Shell, which was among the top ten companies in Britain nominated by the UK Environmental Protection Agency on its Hall of Shame (1998-1999), a list comprising the titles of the foremost polluting companies of the year in the United Kingdom.

 

Copyright 1999-Wildlife of Pakistan-All rights reserved