Wildlife of Pakistan

News from 1999:

 

November 4th, 1999:

Partridge, Sandgrouse hunting banned this season

RECORDER REPORT

..........KARACHI (November 4) : The Government of Sindh has imposed complete ban on the hunting of partridges and sandgrouse during the hunting season 1999-2000, a press release said on Wednesday. However, hunting of ducks and other waterfowl has been allowed during the season starting from Saturday, November 6, 1999 ending February 27, 2000. The Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) will take stern action against those found involved in illegal shooting/trapping, the press release added. Sources close to the SWD said that illegal hunting/poaching of partridges, sandgrouse and houbara bustards was continuing in some parts of Sindh and Balochistan allegedly with the connivance of the local landlords and game department officials. At a press conference on Tuesday, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) chief Brigadier Mukhtar Ahmed (Retd) said that at least seven parties from three countries - Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, were currently involved in illegal hunting of houbara in Sindh. He said that he had approached the federal government, the permit issuing authority in this case to the members of the royal families of the Gulf States, who had said not a single permit had been issued to anyone so far. He said that he had met the Sindh chief secretary, director general of Rangers, Sindh Wildlife Secretary and wildlife conservator but in vain. They all expressed their ignorance of these poachers in the province. The officials, according to Brigadier Mukhtar, said the illegal hunting parties were invited by the local Waderas, Sardars, and other influential people, assisted by the concerned officials, who received expensive favours in return for arranging the illegal hunting.

Copyright 1999 Business Recorder (www.brecorder.com)

 

November 1st, 1999:

Night hunting, netting of birds banned

..........LAHORE (November 1) : The Punjab Wildlife Department has imposed a ban on night hunting and netting of birds and animals in the province with immediate effect. The Wildlife Department has also launched a massive drive against the poachers to preserve the national wildlife wealth and stop its indiscriminate hunting throughout the province. In an exclusive interview with APP here on Sunday, the Director General, Wildlife and parks Punjab, Dr Abdul Aleem Chaudhry, said that heavy penalty would be imposed on the poachers besides registration of cases against them.--APP

 

October 10th, 1999:

NWFP sanctions Rs20m for wildlife fund

PESHAWAR, Oct 10: NWFP Chief Minister Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan has directed the concerned authorities to involve private self-breeding of fancy birds. This was decided in a meeting of the Wildlife Management Board, held here on Saturday with Sardar Mahtab in the chair. A wildlife park would also be developed at Azakhel, Nowshera, with the active involvement of the private sector. The proposal of the establishment of Galiat National Park and Shogran National Park was also agreed by the board. A grant of Rs20 million for the wildlife fund was also sanctioned. Speaking on this occasion, the chief minister said implementation on the wildlife policy should be ensured in letter and in spirit. He also constituted a three-member committee, consisting of the chief secretary, additional chief secretary and conservator of wildlife, to submit proposals for the re-organization and re-structuring of the provincial wildlife department. The chief minister desired that keeping in view the importance of the wildlife department, it should be given more autonomy to bring its dependency on other departments to zero level as well as making it responsible for taking positive initiatives on its own. He also directed the concerned authorities for covering Tanda Dam Wildlife Park into a hunting preserve with the help of the private sector. He also directed to monitor the community game reserves strictly and make sure that the communities may not use them for public relationing purposes, rather they must be made wildlife conservation units for income for the communities and the government. To further the incentives for communities, the board decided that the share of the money that the communities received in the bird hunting permits, a matching grant would be given by the government to the community.-APP

 

September 22nd, 1999:

Hunters of Blue Bull arrested

KARACHI: District Game Warden in Badin has arrested the hunters of Blue Bulls and recovered the skins of the bulls from them, a spokesman of provincial Forest and Wildlife Department said. The spokesman further said that a pair of Blue Bulls, stranded in the recent cyclone, came to the area of Run of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary from Indian border and stayed in Buhari Forest near Ali Bunder. A few days later, the animals moved to the jungle in Deh Walhari near Katto Shahani village where Dodo Kolhi, Peero Malah, Dino Malah and Qadir Khoso hunted them with the help of other villagers. He further said that the action against the offenders had been taken by the District Game Warden Badin in accordance with the provisions of Sindh Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 1993. The offenders were arrested and kept for two days in police custody and the case property- skin of Blue Bull- was recovered from them. According to the spokesman, the case is in process. He also pointed out that Black Buck did not exist in the area as reported in a newspaper.(The NEWS INTERNATIONAL)  

July 23rd, 1999:

Captive breeding of crocodiles at Haleji starts

..........KARACHI (July 23) : Captive breeding of crocodile is being carried out at Haleji lake, the wildlife sanctuary famous in the world for migratory birds. ..........Haleji lake was declared as wildlife sanctuary in 1977 and captive breeding of Hogdeer, Mallard and Crocodile started at the wetland in 1991-92. A number of crocodile/Mallard were released into the lake in presence of journalists in 1997. ..........Of late the lake has become less attractive for migratory waterfowl because since 1994 the water level has, unfortunately, not been maintained and the Haleji reservoir has become infested with weeds and is presently facing severe problems of europhication. ..........It may be mentioned here that Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW) regulates the Haleji water level.--AP ..........Copyright 1999 AP (Published under arrangement with Associated Press of Pakistan)

 

June 24th, 1999:

Pakistan bound to protect wildlife, environment

RECORDER REPORT

..........LAHORE (June 24) : Provincial Minister for Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries, Malik Salim Iqbal on Wednesday said that Pakistan has signed a number of international agreements which bind us to protect wildlife and environment. ..........He was addressing the concluding session of the two-day workshop on "Management of wildlife at the Millennium", organised by the Department of Forest, wildlife and Fisheries, here. The workshop was attended by a large number of experts, including foreign delegates. ..........The minister maintained that wildlife is a part of our foreign policy, and thus we are liable to protect migratory animals and birds, which stay for a short period in Pakistan. The bio-diversity in Pakistan is being distorted in a manner for which there is no other example in the world, he lamented. ..........He said the concept of wildlife has entirely changed in the current era. In the past, the concept of wildlife was just hunting of animals and the previous rulers used to hunt animals as a hobby. He said Pakistan's wildlife was now under threat due to past policies which has highlighted its importance as an integral part of our natural environment. ..........The minister said that wildlife is not a single species but represents a continuity of a system with plants, animals, bacteria and human beings all part of the system. Almighty Allah has created all animals, birds and bacteria for some specific purpose, which helps to make life easy on earth. ..........He said wildlife can be saved only through effective legislation and its implementation without any discrimination. We have not relaxed laws to provide any hunting opportunity to the ruling class, even for a single day, he added. ..........The minister urged the participants to submit their recommendations to protect wildlife and assured that the government would extend its best cooperation. ..........Copyright 1999 Business Recorder (www.brecorder.com)

 

June 23rd, 1999:

Punjab government plans to expand wildlife areas

RECORDER REPORT

..........LAHORE (June 23) : The Secretary Forest, Livestock and Wild Life, Col. (Retd) Sultan Haider, stated on Tuesday that the government has planned to expand wildlife areas through participatory approach and leasing out unutilised lands for the growth of wild animals. ..........He was addressing the participants of the two-day workshop on 'wildlife', organised by the provincial Department of Forest, Wildlife and Livestock, here on Tuesday. ..........He said the government has prepared seven projects to develop protected areas which will be the exclusive domain of wildlife. ..........He appreciated the work done by international agencies, including the WWF and IUCN, for their role in spreading awareness of the importance of this vital issue in the country. ..........Copyright 1999 Business Recorder (www.brecorder.com)

 

June 18th, 1999:

Pollution in Haleji lake: Experts carry out tests on birds (DAWN Newspaper, Pakistan).

By Our Staff Reporter

KARACHI, June 17: A five-member team of wildlife scientists took samples from 45 nests around the Haleji lake area to determine the level of pollution at the wetland. The sampling was done under a project - Colonial water birds as bio-indicators of pollution in coastal and inland wetlands of Pakistan - being carried out jointly by the European Union and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan. The scientists - Dr Xavier Ruiez, Dr Gustavo of Barcelona University, Spain; Syed Najam Khurshid and Rahat Jabeen of WWF Pakistan and Rasheed Ahmad of Sindh Wildlife Department - took samples from three colonies of endemic bird species during the three-week-long first phase of three-year project. Sampling for the second phase will be carried out next year. Wetlands are sensitive ecosystems and are affected by the agricultural run off as well as industrial effluents comprising heavy metals, toxic compounds etc which would have serious effects on human beings when introduced into the food-chain. Once a pollutant reaches a wetland, these are incorporated into the body of animals living there. Like an insect accumulate all the pollutant present in different plants that they eat, and a frog would accumulate all the pollutants present in roughly 30 insects that it eats. A bird will carry all the pollutant load of the roughly five frogs, fish etc it eats daily to survive. So the pollutant ingested by a bird in that example is around 150 times more than the quantity present in a plant. The WWF Pakistan, with the assistance of the European Union, is carrying out the study to gauge the level of pollution in wetlands. Three wetlands - one pollution free (Haleji Lake), one with agricultural run off (Taunsa Barrage), and third one getting industrial effluents (mangroves near Karachi) - have been selected and results will be compared to determine effect of different kinds of pollution on the birds which have been taken as indicators. Samples of feathers, blood, food items, and sediments from the feeding areas of the birds were collected. A similar study is also being carried out in different wetlands in China to determine the impact of pollution on wetlands there and also to determine if there was any similarities. A team member, Ms Jabeen, highlighting the importance of the study, said that if pollution is not checked, it could lead to a problem like the one being faced in the form of food contamination in Belgium, where chicken had been contaminated and the people took the issue so seriously that they had changed the government in the polls a few days back.

 

June 18th, 1999:

UNDP, Pakistan sign $10 million project for NWFP

..........ISLAMABAD (June 18) : The Government of Pakistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday inked an agreement to launch a $10 million project for conserving biological diversity in NWFP and the northern areas. ..........Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the main funding partner along with the UNDP and the Government of Pakistan, Government of NWFP and northern areas administration. ..........The Mountain Areas Conservancy Project (MACP) envisages to spend $ 10.35 million over a period of seven years. ..........The project is an extension of first phase of GEF grant assistance of $ 2.5 million, extended in 1994 for conservation of bio-diversity in northern areas and is sign of credibility of Government of Pakistan for successfully handling GEF projects. ..........The new project aims at protecting rich biological heritage of the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Western Himalayan mountain ranges of Pakistan by advancing a comprehensive package of interventions to address threats to biological diversity. ..........The focus will be on empowering local communities to manage fragile eco-systems in high altitude mountain ranges of Pakistan. ..........Four conservancies will be created under the project and an important component of the project is the setting up of Trust Fund to sustain conservation activities in the project area beyond the life of the project. ..........The project will be executed by the ministry of environment, local government and rural development in collaboration with the Government of NWFP, northern areas administration and IUCN. ..........The project documents were signed by Robert England, resident representative-UNDP, Zaheer Sajjad, secretary economic affairs division and Sikandar Hayat Jamali, secretary, ministry of environment, local government and rural development.--APP ..........Copyright 1999 APP (Published under arrangement with Associated Press of Pakistan).  

June 15th, 1999:

National seminar opens: Depletion of mangroves forests caused heavy losses during cyclone

..........KARACHI (June 15) : The depletion of mangroves forests in Indus delta along Sindh coast caused heavy losses during the recent cyclone-02A, experts said here on Monday. ..........The experts were unanimous in their views that the areas with thick mangroves forests in Indus delta were less affected than the areas where mangroves were eliminated. ..........These views were expressed in the first day of the seminar on "Mangrove Eco-system Dynamics of the Indus Delta" jointly organised by Sindh Forest Department and World Bank at a local hotel. ..........The Advisor to Sindh Governor Dost Muhammad Faizi was the chief guest at the inaugural session of the seminar. ..........Faizi said that the nature has its checks and balance to maintain eco-system of a particular area. Mangroves play a vital role in protecting the coasts from cyclones and high tides. ..........Uncontrolled cutting of forests is giving invitation to the calamities and if these natural resources are not preserved it will create problem for the people. ..........He said the role of Sindh Forest Department for plantation mangroves in Indus delta. He hoped that the department would achieve its target of mangroves plantation. ..........In his remark, the Sindh Secretary of Forests Shamsul Haq Memon said that mangroves in Indus delta are source of fuel for fishermen and fodder for animals. ..........Mangroves are nestling areas and nurseries for shrimps and fish, he said adding that the mangroves protect the sea erosions. The silt of river Indus deposited in the roots of mangrove plants, which protects the erosion of the area. ..........Memon said that mangroves along Indus delta are surviving despite low rain fall rate in the area and decrease in Indus river water due to construction of barrages. ..........He said Pakistani mangroves forests are considered to be the largest in the arid areas of the world. Indus delta's forests are sixth in the over all world, which are spread over 600,000 hectares he added. ..........In his paper, Tahir Qureshi of IUCN-The World Conservation Union pointed out that mangroves are essential for protection of fragile eco-system of Indus delta. ..........He said in 1940 the Indus's discharge below the Kotri barrage was 84.7 million feet acre of water, which has reduced to only 10 million feet acres since 1991. This reduction in the discharge of sweet water of Indus has created a threat to eco-system of Indus delta region. ..........Qureshi said that due to this reduction in Indus water, the production of fish and shrimps has come down, which has created loss of employment opportunities to thousands of fishermen. ..........He pointed out that hundreds of thousands of fishermen have migrated from Indus delta area to other coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan, which has created a problem for life and property. ..........Najamuddin Vistro of Sindh Forest Department said the area under the control of Sindh Forest Department and Port Qasim Authority has been declared as "Protected Forest," where as the area under the control of Board of Revenue is classified as the "Government Waste Land". ..........The Indus delta mangrove eco-system has suffered a great damage due to natural and man made factors like reduced flow of sweet water and silt from Indus river, pollution, browsing and grazing of camels and buffaloes, fuel wood collection, meandering and erosion of creeks, increase in sea level and over fishing.--APP ..........Copyright 1999 APP (Published under arrangement with Associated Press of Pakistan).

 

June 5th, 1999:

World Bank lauds work on Punjab wildlife project

..........LAHORE (June 5) : The visiting mission of the World Bank for South Asian region has appreciated the overall performance of the Punjab wildlife survey and management planning project, to be completed by the end of current month at a total cost of Rs 35.5 million. ..........Official sources told APP here on Friday that 80 percent of the total amount of the project was funded by the World Bank while the remaining 20 percent share was arranged by Punjab government. ..........World Bank team leader Aziz Bouzhar, in a detailed evaluation report of the project, appreciated that all targets set for the project have either been achieved or exceeded including procurement of high quality goods and excellent civil works except foreign training. ..........The report said that the main accomplishments of sub-project also includes completion of management plans for Lal Sohanra National Park, Kathar Game Reserve and Kot Sabzal Game Reserve while those of Taunsa and Chashma game reserves are expected to be completed by the end of the current month. ..........The team leader acknowledged the valuable contributions of the Project Director, Dr Abdul Aleem Chaudhry, for taking personal interest for ensuring the quality and standard of civil works and for execution of the project well in time. ..........Under the project, 41 comprehensive surveys of habitat, against a target of 37, were conducted across the province in addition to preparing management plans for Qadirabad wildlife sanctuary and Daphar wildlife sanctuary. ..........When contacted Dr Aleem who is also holding the office of Director-General, Wildlife and Parks Punjab, told APP that nearly an amount of more than Rs 31 million out of the Rs 35.5 million has so far been spent on the project while the remaining portion of the project will be completed by the end of the current month. ..........He said that main objectives of project included to identify and evaluate the macro and microhabitats for wildlife in the Punjab as well as study the population trend of wildlife species in refuge areas and other wildlife potential areas and suggest plans for model protected areas to help promote wildlife wealth in the province. ..........He said that designs for population surveys of ecological and commercially valuable wildlife species in selected refuge and non refuge areas within the province have also been prepared.--APP ..........Copyright 1999 APP (Published under arrangement with Associated Press of Pakistan)

 

May 17th, 1999:

Nature lovers slate dove killings

..........ISLAMABAD (May 17) : Wildlife organisations and nature lovers have expressed serious concern over the mad shooting of migratory doves in Chitral on Thursday last. ..........Reportedly 7,000 migratory doves were shot down in one day by hunters in the Washeich valley of Tehsil Norr Khu, raising serious concern among wildlife organisations. Other migratory birds, which usually stay in Chitral valley from April till May, met the same fate. ..........Pakistan Environment & Wildlife Conservation Society (PEWCS) will organise a protest walk in the capital against the reported massacre of 7,000 doves in mountainous Chitral. ..........PEWCS President Syed Anwar Ahmed Shah said the executive body of the Society which met here on Friday expressed deep concern over the brutal killing of the doves, a symbol of peace.--APP ..........Copyright 1999 APP (Published under arrangement with Associated Press of Pakistan)

 

May 5th, 1999:

Pollution exposes Indus delta mangroves to severe stress

..........KARACHI (May 5) : The Indus delta mangroves representing the sixth largest mangrove block in the world, presently covering some 160,000 hectares is noticed to be under severe stress causing constant depletion of a site declared as protected zone in 1977. ..........A recent visit to one of the mangrove forests off Rehri Miani, arranged by Pakistan Forum of Environmental Journalists in collaboration with IUCN revealed the extent of damage caused to the natural treasure due to siltation, pollution, over cutting for fuel and fodder besides browsing mainly by camels. .........."This holds almost equally true of the whole belt stretched right from Sindh coast (Karachi South) to the Indian border," Director, Coastal Ecosystem unit of IUCN, Dr M Tahir Qureshi commented talking to APP. .........."Korangi Creek which is the first creek at Indus delta has to bear the major brunt," Dr Qureshi said attributing it to massive expansion in industrial and domestic areas of Karachi. ..........Over 115 million gallons of untreated industrial water coupled with some 200 million gallons of sewerage water is released into the creek every day. The heavy chemical content in the discharged water had not only led to extinction of varied marine species but also contributed to wide degradation of the plantation. ..........It was some 70 years ago that nine different species of mangroves were found at the site which has to date shrunk to almost one that is Avicennia Marina, locally known as Timer, constituting 99 percent of the Indus delta forests. Negligible variety of Aegiceras Corniculata and Ceriops Tagal also exist there. Meanwhile, IUCN is also attempting to grow another specie known as Rhizophora Mucronata at Korangi Creek. ..........A survey conducted by IUCN revealed that approximately 200,000 people, primarily fishermen folk occupy the land immediately adjacent to the mangrove mud flats and over 60 percent of them use timber as their principal source of fuel besides constructing their huts. ..........It was also noticed during the same survey that about 80 percent of these people use Timer as fodder for their livestock. ..........Ironically these people were unconscious that through constant cutting of the plantation they were actually bringing an end to their source of livelihood, as the most valuable commercial products from the mangroves area are the fisheries. ..........Thus under the given conditions IUCN in collaboration with Sindh Forest Department initiated afforestation campaign under Social Forestry Programme. Community based preservation approach was its integral part in 1985. ..........Under the scheme seeds were distributed among the concerned fishermen community to grow their own plants, meeting their respective needs. ..........In this regard nurseries have also been developed from where saplings of mainly Rhizophora were grown and transplanted at the blank patches identified in the mangrove forests. ..........Dr Qureshi mentioned that 75 percent of the mangroves are under severe grazing pressure. It is mainly the saltish tinge in the leaves which turns it into a popular diet for cattle more particularly camels. ..........It must be mentioned that Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) -- Pakistan has also initiated a five-year "Mangroves Preservation Plan", at Sonmiani. Massive involvement of local NGOs and CBOs have been sought to promote alternative income generating schemes for the local communities. While to fill in the gaps at the nearby forests WWF is also developing nurseries of two different varieties in the very area. ..........While some success has been attained through community based approach, the mangroves, however continue to be threatened due to constant decline in the volume of fresh water from the Indus. ..........Situation turns all the more grim because of Karachi-based industrial discharge directly to sea. ..........Oil spill from Port Qasim located at a distance of 30 km of the sea is also responsible for fast growing water pollution. Port Qasim Authority has, however, committed itself to support the Social Forestry Scheme. ..........Constant discharge of untreated water from Bin Qasim thermal power station, Steel Mills and ICI Plant, Hercules Chemical and other factories have also been contributing to the deforestation along the coastal line. Frequent construction and development work near the sea has again its severe impact as dredging done by Port Qasim at the site was often dumped over mangroves, bringing an end to them. ..........Unfortunately, may of the massive projects undertaken at the site against hefty costs are not fully utilised. ..........Pollution caused due to massive industrialisation taking place in considerable close proximity of sea was also seen to have hampered the growth of even the otherwise tolerant Avecinnia Marina which can live in salinities up to 2.5 times that of sea water. Its growth could be seen stunted and might result in its annihilation in coming years.--APP ..........Copyright 1999 APP (Published under arrangement with Associated Press of Pakistan)

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