Every year at the start of winter, migratory birds take shelter in various parts of Satkhira. Sadly, having come from countries of blood-freezing cold in search of a little warmth, they are falling into the hands of hunters.

In several upazilas of Satkhira, migratory birds are being killed with traps set in the dark of night. Hunters plant bamboo poles in paddy fields or fish enclosures in the beels and string up noose nets, and sometimes set traps of thin iron wire across the beels.

The birds die helplessly in these traps late at night and in foggy dawns, and hunters lying in wait nearby take them out. Besides traps, a special kind of sound system is used to catch birds, and air guns are also being used.

The continued killing has made the district's roosting sites unsafe for migratory birds, harming nature.

Birds are being trapped at Goalpota beel and Khariadanga beel in Brahmarajpur union of Satkhira Sadar, Achhandanga beel in the Dhulihar area, Komorpur beel, Ellarchar and Bakchara. Hunting by various methods is also going on in the fish enclosures of Ashashuni and Shyamnagar upazilas and in the beels of border areas including Kalaroa and Tala.

Every night, local influential people hunt birds in Khariadanga beel in Satkhira Sadar using special sound systems, noose nets and air guns. With no proper intervention by the administration, the crime is growing day by day.

Bager beel lies between Nowapara, Dhalbaria, Kolia and Lakshmanpur villages in Tala upazila. Noose nets and special iron-wire traps were seen set at at least four points of the beel to catch migratory and nocturnal birds almost as soon as winter began. Current nets are being strung up at Pakhimara Madhukhali beel under the TRM project in the upazila's Khesra union.

Under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012, hunting or killing migratory birds is a punishable offence carrying up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh, or both.

But little enforcement of the law is seen in the district. Environmental activists believe the birds can be saved if the local administration makes an effort.

Satkhira Deputy Commissioner SM Mostafa Kamal said: "Hunting migratory birds is a punishable offence. The crime rises in the winter season, but the upazila administrations have already been told about it."

He added: "Administrative action will be taken in those beels. No one who hunts birds will be spared. All bird hunters will be brought under the wildlife conservation law."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.