“Although Nepal is usually considered a transit route for illegal bird trade, some of our own species like yellow-breasted Bunting and Hill Myna are also in grave danger due to dramatic population decline by the trade,” Ishana Thapa, the conservation officer at Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN), an NGO working in the field of bird conservation, said. [break]
She informed that earlier when Buntings used to be seen in herds of thousands in Tarai lowlands, they can only be noticed in a group of 5 to 12 these days. This species, which is used as consumer item, is on nationally threatened list.
Similarly, the population of Hill Myna too is said to be in the decline with the species finding place on the list of globally threatened bird species.
Speaking at a regional workshop on "Illegal Wild Bird Trade" organized by BCN on Monday, Thapa highlighted the ongoing bird trade issues in Nepal. “Increasing use of birds by people for pets, meat and religious release purpose are main reasons fueling the wild bird trade in Nepal,” she said.
The cage bird market in Nepal is dominated by parakeets, mynas and munias mostly traded from Patna and Kolkata via Raxaul border. Most of the wild species traded for meat purpose like bunting, Kalij, partridges, quails and ducks are said to be extremely difficult to document.
- Two Tarai bird species face total extinction
- Indian traders using Nepali soil for illegal trade
- 50,000 Indian families depend on illegal bird trade
- Indian traders crossing borders to run illegal trade
- Regional working group sought to curb illegal trade
It was also revealed at the workshop that more than 50,000 families depend on illegal trade in endangered bird species in India alone and most of the bird trade business in Nepal is also run by traders from India.
Abrar Ahmed, a consultant at Traffic/WWF-India, shared this finding. He also informed that more than 300 species, including the exotic species, are in trade in India.
The participants stressed on the need for fresh population studies on the species on trade and strict law enforcement to control all illegal trades.
The workshop also stressed formation of a regional working group on wild bird trade for effective control of the illegal trade. Such a group, they said, is urgent due to rise in number of birds traded in this part of the world.
Government officials present in the workshop welcomed this regional initiative and expressed commitment to support it. They also encouraged the civil societies to provide more information about the ongoing trade on wild birds for effective law enforcement.
The main objective of the workshop was to share the findings of study carried on wild bird trade in Nepal and India among relevant government agencies and other conservation partners. The study was supported by World Parrot Trust, US, and WWF Nepal.
This is for the first time such a workshop has been organized in South Asia.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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