Poaching birds - clear and present danger

AHMEDABAD: Over the past four months, forest department officials have recovered no fewer than 2,400 nets around Nalsarovar, which are used for poaching birds. The recovery has again stirred concern about the birds' safety.

Senior officials said that since October, the department has been recovering about 600 nets a month. This was double the number of nets seized in the past. "Earlier, some 10 nets were recovered daily but these days the number has increased to around 20," said an officer. He said that two bamboo poles are erected about 400-odd metres from the lake. A fishing net is tied to these poles so that birds are caught as they swoop down into the lake. A former deputy conservator of forests said that once birds are trapped they are killed. In some instances wings or legs are broken.

Officials said that even if villagers are caught with nets, they get away by saying that they are readying for fishing operations.

Deputy conservator of forest Sasi Kumar said, "Over the past 15-odd days, the number of nets recovered has gone down drastically because of intensified patrolling." He said that the forest department had designed a patrolling strategy because the area was too large. He further said the once recovered, a net was destroyed.