Simultaneously sweep and dismantle the 'net of heaven and earth' to exterminate wild birds

Van Truong October 11, 2023 15:35

(Baonghean.vn) - Some people in coastal areas of Dien Chau, Hoang Mai, Nghi Loc, Quynh Luu districts... have the habit of catching wild birds during the migration season. Faced with this situation, the authorities have simultaneously launched a campaign to sweep and dismantle bird traps to protect bird species that are facing the risk of extinction.

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Forest rangers and Dien Chau District Police dismantled bird trapping nets in the field. Photo: Contributor

Nghe An is a locality with a coastline of over 82 km, the vast coastal fields become a stopover for many species of natural birds after their seasonal migration. However, instead of protecting them, some people have found every way to hunt and exterminate these birds.

For example, Dien Chau district is a hot spot for bird hunting. In Dien Trung commune in early October, the fields were full of bamboo sticks with glue, which hunters used to trap flocks of birds.

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Forces seized fake storks made of foam in Dien Trung commune, Dien Chau. Photo: Van Truong

To catch wild birds, bird hunters use fake storks made of foam, then stick them in the fields, next to a series of bamboo sticks that have been coated with glue. Or they use live decoy birds, standing on wooden sticks, with their legs tied to fishing lines, and stick them in the fields to trap other birds.

“Previously, during the rainy and stormy season, many wild birds came to this field, but because of the many traps, the number of birds coming here is decreasing,” said a bird hunter in Dien Trung.

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After being informed and encouraged by the authorities, some bird hunters dismantled their bird traps themselves. Photo: Van Truong

Faced with the above situation, from September 20th to now, Dien Chau Forest Protection Department has coordinated with the People's Committees of Dien Trung, Dien Phu, Dien Thai, Dien Hoa, Dien Thinh, Dien Loi, Dien Cat communes... to organize inspections and handle the situation of trapping wild birds and migratory birds. The authorities seized more than 6,000 m of net, 850 stakes, 20 kg of plastic, 300 plastic sticks, 60 decoys, 3 bird sound speakers, and destroyed them.

The People's Committee of Dien Chau district has also issued a document, directing local authorities to organize and implement for business establishments in the area to sign a commitment not to buy, sell, use, consume, display, or advertise wild birds, and to completely destroy markets and gathering places that illegally trade wild birds and migratory birds in the area.

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Confiscated sticky sticks and foam sticks in fields in Dien Chau district. Photo: Van Truong

A representative of the Forest Protection Department said: Since the beginning of September 2023, Nghe An has simultaneously launched a crackdown on hunting migratory birds in districts and cities such as Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Vinh City, etc. Local authorities have coordinated with functional forces including forest rangers, police, and militia to seize over 7,500 meters of nets, destroy over 4,000 fake storks made of foam, release nearly 100 trapped birds into the wild, and destroy more than 10 bird-trapping watchtowers...

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Destroying and burning fake foam and sticky sticks in Dien Chau district. Photo: Van Truong
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Forest rangers dismantle bird traps in Hung Hoa mangrove forest, Vinh city. Photo: Van Truong

In the coming time, the Forest Protection Department will continue to coordinate with local authorities and relevant agencies in the area, organize forces to continuously and resolutely sweep to dismantle and completely recover means and tools to illegally trap and capture wild birds. Especially regularly check in areas where birds often live such as coastal alluvial flats, ponds, lakes, lagoons, and floating flats on rivers from September this year until the end of April next year.

Van Truong