Contract system for riverbank hunting spots opposed

CHARSADDA: An organisation working for the conservation and protection of bird species on Monday opposed the government’s decision to bring designated hunting points along the province’s rivers under a contractor system.

The organization also rejected the recent hike in the wildlife shooting license fee.Speaking at a press conference, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nature and Wildlife Organization provincial president Musa Khan Safi and general secretary Rohullah Jan and other members said that the decision was tantamount to genocide of bird species if the contrcat system was implemented.

They said that all members of their organization were hunters, who hunt migratory birds as a hobby and renew their licenses annually through the Wildlife Department.Both said that under the new directive, the government has instructed the Wildlife Department to bring all designated riverbank hunting spots under a contractor system, which they consider a flawed decision.

The office-bearers said that their members hunt only during specific seasons and also release birds into the wild during breeding seasons to help maintain ecological balance. However, under the contractor system, the contractors would be motivated to hunt as many birds as possible, endangering bird populations.

They added that increasing license fees for hunters was an unfair move against the hunting community in the province. The hunters also said that the Wildlife Department had limited hunting to only three days a week during the hunting season, which they believed was insufficient.