Editorial
Protecting endangered species
Law-implementing agencies should be strengthened and activated
Despite the ban, capturing and killing of animals belonging to the endangered species is going on unabated. In a recent drive by the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department, some 374 turtles of three rare species have been seized from shops in Khulna district. Officials who raided the places where the turtles were kept hidden said, those turtles were waiting to be smuggled out of the country at an opportune moment.
Catching of these animals is a punishable offence under sections 5 (1) and 15 (1) of The Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation Act, 1974. But how then those involved in this illegal business of catching and smuggling of rare turtles have been carrying out their business with impunity so far? It has been learnt that the local UP chairman had given those illicit traders the necessary licence to deal in turtles.
However, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) who conducted the raid could not take action against the said turtle traders as they produced their licence.
The government should take prompt action to apprehend those traders and bring them to justice. At the same time, it should look more closely into how the offenders managed to get the so-called licence and if a UP chairman is the proper authority to issue it as they claimed.
With the unraveling of this racket dealing in rare turtles, the government needs to be more active in stopping the practice of catching, selling and smuggling of rare animals in the country. The way guest birds, which are also prohibited under law to be caught, sold or killed, one often comes across sale of these birds even within the city under the very nose of the law enforcing agencies. So, it is again enforcement, rather than the mere existence of the laws that is the crucial part of the Wildlife Preservation Act.
Along with the enforcement, people's level of awareness about the issue needs also to be heightened. In this regard, the department concerned, the media and the different pro-wildlife and environment organizations should play their roles in making the people aware of their responsibilities in protecting and preserving the wildlife, especially the rare and endangered species.
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