Free as a bird?
despite the ban on trapping and trade of wild birds in India, illegal traffic flourishes almost all over India, especially in northern India, according to the latest survey by the World Wide Fund for Nature (wwf) and traffic -India. The report, based on 64 surveys in 57 trading establishments/trapping areas in 36 cities reveals that illegal trade of at least 250 birds, including 70 exotic species, continues in northern India. Smuggling of munia and parakeet account for 80 per cent of this trade. The birds are mostly routed clandestinely through Nepal and Pakistan.
According to Abrar Ahmed, who has prepared the report, globally threatened species endemic to the Indian subcontinent like the Swamp francolin (Francolinus gularis), Green munia (Estrilda formosa) and Finn's baya (Ploceus megarhynchus) are being freely traded in Indian markets. These birds are in the Red Data list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (iucn). Surprisingly, these species have not been given adequate protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which lists them under Schedule iv . This has allowed trapping and hunting of birds under the wild animal trapping licence with the permission of a chief wildlife warden.
According to the report, 12,457 birds were seized in 1990, the year all trade in birds was banned. In contrast, only 2,853 birds were recovered in 1989 and only 1,847 birds were seized in 1991. Explaining the increase of number of seizures in 1990, Ahmed told Down To Earth that the traders were probably aware of the impending ban and decided to take advantage of the legal channels to pass off banned birds. But seizures have again risen in 1995, and 8,691 birds were recovered from Delhi alone.
The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (wpa), 1972, banned hunting and trade of all Indian wild animals, excluding
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