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The government has decided to prepare a countrywide area-based wildlife inventory so that locals can be made aware of these wild animals.
The decision was taken at the 41st meeting of the Wildlife Advisory Board held recently, with Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan in the chair, BSS reports.
To this end, the Forest Department will start the process of preparing the countrywide area-based wildlife inventory and will conduct public awareness activities on wildlife using various media, including social media.
The wildlife advisory board is a key body established under the Wildlife (Preservation and Security) Act, 2012, replacing older laws, to guide conservation, development, and management of wildlife, biodiversity, and forests, comprising experts in these fields to advise the government on policies, protected areas, and combating illegal trade.
The board also decided to take effective measures to check the sale of wildlife, including birds, at different haats in the country, according to an official document obtained by BSS.
As per the decision, the Forest Department, the district administration and other law enforcement agencies will take necessary steps to ensure that no wild animals, including birds, are bought or sold in the markets or through any other social media.
The Forest Department will also take necessary initiatives to raise awareness against the use of guns in hunting migratory birds and other birds during the winter.
It was decided to request the deputy commissioners to send a list of bird spots and take action to raise awareness in this regard.
It was also decided to request the deputy commissioners to take into consideration whether birds are hunted with guns having license, during the license renewal.
The issue of human-elephant conflicts was highlighted during the meeting. In light of the decision taken at a meeting earlier with relevant stakeholders, the Forest Department was asked to take necessary measures to mitigate the human-elephant conflicts.
Human-elephant conflict is a severe and escalating issue in the country's southeastern (Chattogram) and northern (Sherpur, Mymensingh) regions, driven by habitat loss and forest fragmentation, leading to crop destruction, property damage, and numerous human/elephant deaths.