Sameer Naizr
KARACHI: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pakistan and Baanhn Beli in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change organised a regional symposium in Karachi on conservation of vultures in Asia on Monday.
The representatives of government, media and academia, as well as local and regional species and vulture experts from India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Nepal attended the event.
South Asia has been witnessing drastic decline in vulture population during the last 20 years and use of chemical, ‘Diclofenac Sodium’ is behind the reason and the regional governments need to adopt active policy decisions, experts said on Monday.
The experts said Diclofenac Sodium, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), used in livestock, is the main cause of mortality in the species that results in kidney failure in vultures.
Experts said that the vultures are ecologically important, being responsible for consuming dead animals and cleaning the environment.
Ministry of Climate Change former secretary Arif Ahmed Khan, currently secretary, Ministry of Interior said, “Diclofenac needed to be discontinued and that relevant government officials, such as in health, also needed to be sensitised to understand the gravity of the issue.” While efforts are underway and the existing situation requires stronger measures and steps to ensure increase in vultures, he added.
The regional vulture experts exchanged their experiences and knowledge of conservation of these essential birds in the Asia region.
IUCN Regional Director Aban Marker Kabraji said, “There is an urgent need for trans-boundary vulture safe zones to conserve vulture populations in the wild.”
The speakers called for discontinuation of diclofenac and creation of safe zones for vultures, as it is vital to address vulture decline in Pakistan.
Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Syed Abu Ahmad Akif said, “Government of Pakistan realising the importance of species responded quickly and banned diclofenac production and its use in the country.”
Akif said that the research conducted in Pakistan on vanishing of vultures and its verification by regional countries, revealed ‘Diclofenac Sodium’, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in the livestock is the main cause of this sudden decline in the population of vultures in South Asia region.
The Inspector General Forests, Syed Mahmood Nasir, reiterated many threats vultures are facing which include shortage of dead animals on which they feed and encroachment by humans in
their habitats.
IUCN Country Representative Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, while giving an overview of IUCN’s efforts towards species conservation, especially with respect to vulture conservation highlighted the role the organisation had been playing in sustainable development, through its membership, commission members and collaborations with governments.
While talking about existing threats to vultures, IUCN Pakistan Project Coordinator Nadeem Mirbahar said that a research has indicated that livestock drug, Diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is the major cause of this decline.
Mirbahar said that globally vultures fall prey to many threats including use of a pain-killer called ‘Diclofenac Sodium’, food contamination, poisoning for the traditional medicine trade or by poachers, non-availability of food and habitat degradation and electrocution and collision with the ever-expanding energy network.
Dr Uzma Khan of World Wild Fund (WWF) for Pakistan pointed out harmful drugs like Ketoprofen, Aceclofenac and Flunixin are available at Nagar Parkar.
