Bihar to bring 'Patna declaration' at international workshop to discuss bird conservation efforts

Patna: In a bid to check Illegal hunting of wild and migratory birds and suggest measures to strengthen their conservation efforts in countries falling in the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), a three-day international workshop will be held in the Bihar capital from February 5.

The international workshop on 'Bird Conservation Initiatives in India with special focus on illegal hunting, taking and trade of birds-conservation and management issues and concerns – South Asian Regional Perspective' is being organised by the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (DEFCC) of Bihar government in association with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), an official said.

The workshop, which will conclude on February 7, will be attended by delegates from countries like Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan besides those from across India.

Talking to PTI, Bandana Preyashi, Secretary (DEFCC), said, "Bihar government will bring out the 'Patna declaration' at this three-day international workshop."

"The declaration will talk about the state's action plan for conserving the birds with respect to CAF. It will also talk about developing strategies and concerted actions for curbing illegal hunting, taking and trade of birds in the CAF Region".

More than 52 delegates from 40 organisations, national and international, will participate in the workshop.

Besides, better enforcement of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 on resident and migratory birds, their protection, effective implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in India, will also be mentioned in the declaration, she added.

While elaborating on the workshop, the DEFCC secretary said, "India's diverse avian population is a testament to the country's natural richness. However, these beautiful birds face multiple threats, ranging from habitat loss to climate change. Conservation efforts are essential to safeguard their future".

"In many countries, clear regulations do exist, but enforcement needs to be improved and strengthened'. All these aspects will be discussed at the workshop and accordingly, an effective strategy will be formulated", she added.

"Illegal activities not only affect bird population but also harm society in general, putting our natural resources and our very existence in danger. Conservation, agriculture and tourism sectors – all suffer from their negative impacts. On the second day, the illegal hunting, taking and trade of wild and migratory birds will be discussed in detail", she said.