Bird poaching goes on, actions rare

A section of locals are engaged in hunting of birds, especially herons, posing threat to the stock of the graceful creature of nature.

A poacher sold five herons at Balapukur Bazar in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat for Tk 150 to 200 each on Monday afternoon.

“I trap the birds in different areas and sell them at different markets without facing any obstacle from law enforcers or locals. Some people put order in advance to buy heron,” said the poacher, Jalal Hossain, 45, from Batrish Hazari village of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

“I catch birds to earn a living. Many others in the district do the same. I do not know of any law against bird hunting,” he said.

Herons come to the beel (large water body) to eat puti maachh (an indigenous fish) but the birds are caught in the poachers’ traps set with the fish.

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