A birds net and a pitcher used by unkonwn bird catchers to trap birds have been seized from Waithou wetland in Manipur by a join team of Join Coordination Committee on Wildlife and Biodiversity (JCCWB) Manipur with the help of a Thoubal commando team led by ASI S Kumar on Friday morning.
The unkonwn miscreants who used to catch birds fled away before the team arrived at the spot. It is said that the seized net had been trapped there for the last three days.
Romesh Ningthoujam, Convenor, JCCWB Manipur, who took part in the drive told this reporter that JCCWB along with the fishermen of Waithou wetland have been conducting awareness programmes in a bid to protect birds.
They also jointly released several baby fishes at Waithou wetland and requested all to eat fish instead of catching birds. "It was unfortunate having to seize bird nets despite several appeals against capturing of wildlife," they said.
Romesh said as Waithou wetland is located a stone's throw away from the office of the Range Forest Office Thoubal, several questions arises whether the staff of the Range Forest Office Thoubal knowingly or unknowingly carried out the act of traping birds, be it in the morning, evening or night.
Romesh appealed to all bird catchers to stop bird catching at any cost. It is against the law to trap bird. Those who catch birds will face stringent punishment when the join team arrest them red handed, Romesh cautioned.
