Sindh CM Directs Wildlife Dept To Promote Eco-Tourism, Trophy Hunting

APP

Karachi: Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar has directed the Wildlife Department to make conservation arrangements that should be aimed at promoting eco-tourism, scientific and controlled game management, including native biodiversity and trophy hunting.

While presiding over a meeting of Forest and Wildlife at Chief Minister (CM) House, Babar further directed the Wildlife Department to protect the community lands that are treasures of wildlife and make conservation arrangements with the community for dry zone game bird hunting areas, wetlands, areas of high-water quality or scenic value, and areas that contain soils generally not listed for cultivation.

CM was informed that October to March represented the non-breeding season for game birds, making it a technically suitable time for the legal, ethical, responsible and sustainable harvest of game birds.

Justice Maqbool directed the Wildlife Department that the Tharparkar district and Shaheed Benazirabad division would be allowed hunting this year but would remain closed for the hunting season 2023-24 for breeding purposes

Conservator Wildlife Javed Maher told CM that the population of Indus Dophin was recorded at 1419 in 2019. From 1995 to 2020, 200 dolphins were rescued. Hence, Maqbool directed the department to take more measures to protect the Indus Dolphin.

CM Babar also directed the department to take appropriate measures to protect migratory birds as these birds are considered our guests and we must protect them.

Maqbool Baqar was informed that every year, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Management Authority, the Ministry of Climate Change, and the federal government allocate trophy hunting quotas for the community-based trophy hunting program in their respective provinces.

Trophy hunting is recognised as a management tool wherein an annual survey of target species is carried out and mature and old age males are counted, leaving the majority for the natural food chain.

Only a few are offered for trophy hunting as per the CITES quota regulated by the CITES Management Authority. The federal government, in the loop with the Geneva Secretariat as per the quota advertisement, is published in newspapers, and the highest international or national bidders open bid is accepted.

To a question, the CM was told that trophy hunting is not carried out in protected areas (National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries) but only at game reserves, private lands, and state lands.

Forestry and Wildlife Secretary Najam Shah told the CM that trophy hunting is not an attempt to generate revenue but to manage, conserve and protect wildlife and their habitats by involving communities.

The approved ratio of benefit sharing is 80:20 between communities and government as approved by Pakistan’s CITES Management Authority, added Najam.

Secretary said that according to this concept, the local community living on the premises of any target species is taken on board for protection from illegal hunting, conservation of habitat, management in the shape of surveys, habitat monitoring, water spreading and harvesting, and formation of community-based organisations (CBOs).