Stating that man-animal conflict in certain parts of Goa is not severe, state Wildlife Board today refrained from declaring any animal as vermin, even as Forest department recommended that wild pigs be held responsible as the "nuisance animal" for such conflicts.
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The Board decided that culling of wild pig be allowed in parts of the state during certain period in a year only when they destroy crops, subject to permission by government."Forest department is of the opinion that man-animal conflict in Goa is not as severe as (in) other states. Due to this it becomes difficult to declare any animal as vermin," Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar told PTI after attending Board's meeting here, which was chaired by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
State government had drawn flak in past after Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar demanded that peacock and the State Animal, wild bison (Gaur) would be declared as vermin along with wild pigs and different species of monkeys.
Arlekar, however, said that his department is of the view that any animal should be declared as vermin only in extreme cases.
"After going through various complaints of farmers, Forest department has recommended that wild pig should be declared as the one (animal) responsible for the man-animal conflict in state," the minister said.
He said a proposal to declare wild pig as a "nuisance animal" would be moved to National Wildlife Board for approval.
"But it has been decided that we will not give a blanket permission to shoot wild pigs during entire year and across state. We know that this permission can be grossly misused for poaching," Arlekar said.
The Board has decided that the permission to kill wild pigs should be given only in specific areas where they create more nuisance and during specific period of year, mostly in harvest time, when they destroy crops of farmers.
"Villages in Sattari, Bicholim, Pernem, Sanguem and Canacona taluka would be identified where the animals (wild pig) can be eliminated during specific season," Arlekar said.
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