[NatureNS] Bustard hunting in Pakistan

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:49:14 -0400
References: <4F27CD69.4080902@xplornet.com> <000001cce00c$9cd81ce0$d68856a0$@eastlink.ca> <20120131093046.10230pr4xng3ieio@wm4.dal.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


When I worked for the Department of Environmental Conservation in  
Iran, hunting houbara bustards was a popular activity on the part of  
the Persian elites (this was back in the era of Mohamed Reza Phalavi,  
the Shah of Iran). Hunting expeditions would go to the national parks  
and game reserves where - as Ian suggests - the local game guards  
simply turned a blind eye. When I was at Arjan National Park there was  
such a hunting expedition one weekend where upper-crust Persians  
chased houbara bustards around with land rovers. Who knows if such  
activities still go on in present-day Iran, but such beliefs are slow  
to change. Look at the wealthy hunters who still pay small fortunes to  
hunt polar bears in the Canadian arctic:

	http://www.polarbearhunting.net/

Cheers,

Chris

On 31-Jan-12, at 9:30 AM, iamclar@DAL.CA wrote:

> All:
>
> I believe that the "sport" involved in falconry carried out by idle- 
> rich sheiks from the Middle East and brings $ millions into local  
> economies, hence is overlooked by regional and national authorities.  
> Inter alia, there is evidently a belief that the bustard's flesh is  
> aphrodisiac. Thrill of the chase, money and sex - a powerful mix.  
> There was an exposé some years ago in the "New Yorker."
>
> Ian
> Ian McLaren
>
> Quoting John and Nhung <nhungjohn@eastlink.ca>:
>
>> "Sport" can be pretty obscene sometimes, can't it?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca 
>> ]
>> On Behalf Of Annabelle Thiebaux
>> Sent: January-31-12 7:16 AM
>> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>> Subject: [NatureNS] ?!
>>
>>> The houbara bustard, a gentle desert bird native to Central Asia,  
>>> has
>>> been poached to near-extinction despite being protected under
>>> Pakistani law. These birds need your help!
>>>
>>> The Sindh Wildlife Department has full authority to control sport
>>> hunting. However, influential local personalities  support this
>>> tradition, and the law is not enforced.
>>
>>> These birds are crucial to maintaining the biodiversity of the  
>>> Middle
>>> East and Central Asia, but are expected to go extinct in as little  
>>> as
>>> 15 years if sport hunting is kept up.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects