E-Paper
Harike wetland: Illegal fishing, encroachment threaten habitat of migratory avians
As thousands of migratory birds are making a beeline to Harike wetland and wildlife sanctuary, rampant encroachments and poaching of fish are posing a serious threat to the wildlife in the key biodiversity hotspot of Punjab.
: As thousands of migratory birds are making a beeline to Harike wetland and wildlife sanctuary, rampant encroachments and poaching of fish are posing a serious threat to the wildlife in the key biodiversity hotspot of Punjab.
Official information says more than 1,200 acres of sanctuary area in the districts of Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala have been encroached upon by villagers for wheat and other crops.
Officials said farmers are levelling islands by cutting long grass-like vegetation as far as 10 km from the mainland for sowing crops.
Kamaljit Singh, block wildlife officer at Harike, said over the years, a section of farmers from several villages is intruding into the sanctuary area for farming in an unauthorised manner.
“Several of them are using motorboats to reach islands and cultivate crops. A campaign is underway and we are able to stop farmers in several areas from sowing wheat in the prohibited zones,” he added.
Similarly, unauthorised fishing is posing a threat to the visiting avian population, who get entangled in nets. Moreover, the fishing mafia is also impacting availability of natural food for the birds migrating to Punjab.
The wildlife sanctuary is spread over 86 square kms, including 41 sq kms of Harike wetland, which is home to scores of bird species visiting from as far as the Arctic and Siberia.
Spread on the Ferozepur-Tarn Taran border, Harike is a rare biodiversity hotspot that attracts thousands of birds from abroad and other Indian states. The wetland is located at the confluence of Sutlej and Beas rivers, with the sanctuary at the spot where Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions of Punjab meet.
Officials said while fishing is allowed on a contract basis outside the sanctuary area, it is illegal to fish inside the sanctuary.
According to information, in the last two months alone, the state wildlife authorities have held six persons under the Wildlife Protection Act for poaching and destruction of wildlife habitat in Harike. A huge number of nets were also recovered from the river waters.
Official sources said locally operating gangs are indulged in poaching of fish in the prohibited zones in Sutlej and Beas rivers.
“Besides threatening the avian population, unwanted movement by illegal fishers is likely to restrict the movement of the migratory birds in the protected sanctuary. We are making all efforts to check fish poaching,” said divisional forest officer (wildlife) of Ferozepur Lakhwinder Singh Gill.
He said the department has seized about 20 boats since October and few arrests were also made related to unauthorised fishing in the sanctuary zone.
Gill said the district authorities are being approached to identify encroachments and a drive to free sanctuary land from grabbers.
Ferozepur deputy commissioner Amrit Singh said she would soon convene a meeting with the wildlife department to chalk out a programme to counter poaching and land grabbing.
