Whatever the official position on the bird trade, theres no denying that the business is flourishing all over the country. Abrar Ahmed, a programme officer with TRAFFIC India, who has been studying the bird trade in India, has discovered that the ban has only created its own problems. Last Thursday Ahmed shared some of his astounding findings with a select gathering at the Capitals India International Centre, as he incited a debate on Bird Trade: Ban or Regulation.
The lecture, delivered under the auspices of the Ranthambore Foundation and chaired by publisher Bikram Grewal, must surely have made birds enthusiasts and naturalists sit up in shock. Ahmed showed the gathering photographs of thousands of parakeet chicks which had died a painful death in captivity while being smuggled into Pakistan. Another slide showed a photograph of a restaurant in Bihar blatantly advertising exotic bird meat. Rummaging among the restaurants rubbish, Ahmed apparently uncovered at least seven species of birds which had been slaughtered to end up on someones dinner plate.
In the course of his hard-hitting talk, Ahmed highlighted how he had conducted surveys across the country and spotted, on an average, 1,000 birds per survey being traded. While most of the birds were being sold as pets or as table birds, Ahmed discovered some strange uses for the birds. For instance, several species were being captured specifically for release functions. Nowadays it has become very fashionable to release doves and other birds at opening ceremonies of games meets and other important functions. Several pious people regularly release birds as an act of kindness. Scarce wonder then that the bird trappers have hit upon a lucrative trade. Thus species such as warblers, which would never have fallen prey to hunters as they are neither pets nor table birds, are now suddenly being swooped upon for a totally different purpose. I discovered that several religious sects especially Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Sindhis were killing the birds with their kindness, exclaims Ahmed. He also found that
certain birds like owls were being used by some tribes for witchcraft and sorcery.
Ahmed also claimed that the ban has resulted in a sudden spurt in localised trade, since trappers fear transporting the birds from one place to another. For instance, a trapper who catches birds in the Hudappa district of Andhra Pradesh would be loath to go all the way to Mehboob Chowk of Hyderabad to sell his ware, since there are risks attached to his being spotted on the way. Moreover, since the transportation has to be done under cover, the expenses involved are high. Prior to the ban, he didnt mind the travel, since he had permission to deal in regulated species such as the parakeet.
Although burning with indignation at the plight of the winged creatures, Ahmed was not without sympathy for the trappers who, he claimed, are equally trapped in their profession. Tribes such as the Baheliyas and the Chidimars have been catching birds for generations and are not trained for any other job. I know some tribesmen who can just mimic the sound of a warbler and, hey presto, the bird descends on their hand, he says. Ahmed suggests that the trappers should be given an alternative source of livelihood or their skills used in zoos to encourage them to give up the trade.
Another solution suggested by him was to encourage captive breeding of exotic species. With this, the already existing cage bird species such as budgerigar, cockatiel, zebra finches, lovebirds and canaries can be made available at cheaper prices, thus making them attractive to buyers. As he pointed out, during the surveys most of the buyers were initially attracted by the captive bred species but switched over to the wild munia or the parakeet due to the high price of the exotics. (A pair of red munia is available for Rs 10-20, while a captive bred bird of the same size and somewhat similar colour, such as the zebra finch, may command Rs 100.) Therefore, the customer automatically opts for the red munia.
Not a sentimental conservationist, Ahmed feels that instead of needlessly banning a trade, a workable alternative can be found. For instance, there is no point imposing a ban on species that have got totally acclimatised to captive breeding such as the budgerigar, he argues. Unlike many bird lovers, I am not averse to people eating bird meat provided its bred for that purpose. However, if someone kills a bird in the wild and eats it, that inflames me, he says.
A total ban is just not logical, he argues. However, in a private chat after the talk, Bikram Grewal expressed a different opinion. He felt that regulation is meaningless in a country like ours. When we cannot even succeed in Project Tiger, which aims at protecting just one species, how do you think we can regulate trade in birds, he questions. Grewal was in favour of a total ban, including exotic species. No birds should be kept as pets, he asserted firmly.
But it is not quite as simple as that. When there is a total ban, and birds are seized, where does one find a refuge for them, asked Ahmed. He cited the example of a flock of mynahs that a dealer had brought from the northeast, which was captured in Delhi. The enforcement authorities simply sent the birds to the zoo, where most of them died. At least the birds would have fared better at the hands of the traders, who know how to take care of them. Either you should send them back to the place where they came from or you should provide specialised care, says Ahmed.
Grewal and Ahmed can continue arguing their respective points of views. Meanwhile, the law on bird trade is due to be amended within the next fortnight with a new act. Experts from the Centre of Environment Law and ministry officials are even now drawing up a new law.
Chitra Narayanan
