International Migratory Bird Day was celebrated in Quetta just like it was everywhere else.
On this day, the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Program and the Wildlife Department put on a lecture to raise awareness at a private hotel in Quetta.
Niaz Khan Kakar, the Chief Conservator of Forests, told the people at the seminar about the movement of migratory birds in Balochistan. He said that every year, thousands of cranes, talurs, falcons, and other guest birds come to Pakistan, but there is no way to protect them because there isn’t enough awareness in our province.
Niaz Khan told the people at the session that the number of these migratory birds is dropping every year because hunters are killing too many of them.
The Balochistan Forest Department says that 12 million birds visit the areas of Nushki, Dalbandin, and Kharan every year.
In the Zhob, Dana Sar Takht Suleiman range, they used to come from Siberia in the thousands, but now, because of illegal shooting, there are only about 1,200 left. This is a very scary number.
Participants at the seminar, including Vice Chancellor of Lorelai University Zahoor Ahmed Bazai, Secretary of Law Saboor Kakar, Secretary of Forests and Wildlife Noor Ahmed Perkani, Sharifuddin Baloch, Dr. Rabia Zafar, and others, asked the government to do something to stop illegal hunting in Balochistan.
A total ban should be put in place so that birds from other places can move to Balochistan.
Because these birds travel 4,500 km and start their trip in September, it takes them 15 days to get to Pakistan.
Until March, these birds spend the winter in different parts of Tajikistan, India, Ahmedpur, the Indus River, and Balochistan.