Nylon fishing nets removed from Najafgarh to safeguard migratory birds

The district wildlife department has confiscated nearly 40 nylon fishing nets from the Najafgarh wetland in two raids this month. Officials said the step has been

The district wildlife department has confiscated nearly 40 nylon fishing nets from the Najafgarh wetland in two raids this month. Officials said the step has been taken in order to protect the area’s substantial winter bird population that may face a threat from commercial fishing activities prevalent in the area.

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“Fishing activities have been taking place in Najafgarh for a few years now. We cannot prevent it since the area is not a protected wetland or national park, like Sultanpur. But we have spoken with the fishermen and asked them not to use nylon wire netting as visiting birds may get trapped. If an endangered bird specie or a rare migratory species gets caught, it will become a legal issue,” said Rajesh Chahal, wildlife inspector.

As per the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), conducted by Netherlands-based Wetlands International, last winter, 54 species of waterfowl, including six species red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), were recorded in a census at the Najafgarh jheel in Gurugram. The number was up from 31 species, including four red-listed birds, recorded the year before that. “Since we have been noticing more birds visiting Najafgarh every year, we have taken this as a precautionary step and will continue to monitor the area to prevent fishing,” Chahal said.

Chahal cited the example of a black-necked stork, which, in 2018, had caused a flutter among the birding community after it was found in Basai with its beak trapped in a rubber tube. The bird was finally rescued in Najafgarh after several days. The subsequent year, a darter was seen with polythene-like substance wrapped around its beak in Sultanpur. “The danger with fishing nets is heightened because the birds may get tangled while trying to feed on fish. Environmentalists have also raised this issue with us,” said Chahal.

Pankaj Gupta, a veteran birder with the Delhi Bird Foundation, said that commercial fishing has been a common sight at Najafgarh for nearly eight years now. “It will certainly attract attention if a rare bird happens to come in harm’s way. I can’t recollect any instance where we have actually witnessed a bird in danger due to these nets, but the birds are definitely at risk, at least in the canal portion of the wetland where fishing is most prevalent,” Gupta said.