Daikundi residents want indiscriminate wildlife hunting banned

NELLI (Pajhwok): The residents of central Daikundi province have expressed their concern over the indiscriminate hunting of birds and other wildlife animals and asked for the government’s consideration in this regard.

Aref Hussaini, a resident of Shahristan district told Pajhwok Afghan News, some people arbitrarily and secretly hunt birds, such hunting pushed rare birds with extinction.

Hussaini said: “The wildlife animals were travelling in flocks from one place to another, some of such animals were even coming to our villages, as they faced indiscriminate hunting, they escaped from us or travelled to other areas”.

He said some people even shoot such birds for entertainment and recreation.

He added, the government must prevent the hunting of bird and wildlife animals, because such animals help in eco system and add to the beauty of environment. The residents even said, the government has assigned an official in every village to monitor the forests and keep an eye on illegal hunting, nevertheless, some people keep hunting secretly.

Reza Qambari, a resident of Kheder district has also told Pajhwok that the people in their district hunt the bird of wildlife indiscriminately.

He said: “I know, some people in our area and some other areas hunt quails, pigeons, sparrows and even some other animals of the wildlife”.

Such hunting of animals leaves negative impact on the environment.

He said, the people mostly hunt birds, it must be prevented.

He stressed: “I as a member of this community strictly oppose such hunting because hunting removes the beauty of the environment and ask the government to take firm steps for the prevention of hunting”.

Asif, another resident of Daikundi pointed to the importance of the existence of such animals in wildlife, these wild animals bring biodiversity in the environment.

He said, animals are beautiful and they add to the beauty of the environment more.

While some of the environment protection activists asked for preservation of natural heritages.

Environmental Affairs Expert Sardar Ramazani said the animals and other bird of the wildlife are parts of the natural heritage adding that much attention must be paid to their protection.

The people still keep hunting some of those rare birds that face the danger of extinction, Ramazani added. He urged people to be cooperative with the government to preserve this natural heritage.

While the officials of Environment Protection Department said, they have a specific plan from the prevention of birds and other wildlife animals hunting and they would deal seriously with the violators.

Arif Mujhda, the head of Information and Culture Department told Pajhwok, the animals and birds are being hunted by some people due to the low awareness about the laws of natural heritage and environment protection.

He said, according to these laws, every violator can be fined from five to ten thousand afs and imprisoned up to six months.

Mujhda said, till now only two violators (who hunted a deer) were dealt with in accordance with the law in Meramoor district.

He added, to protect such animals from being hunted, they created some volunteers councils in some parts of the province.

He said, through such councils, the people are given awareness about the value of natural heritage and environment protection.

Daikundi is one of the mountainous provinces that host different types of animals and birds in its mountains.

Aw/nh

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