Staff Reporter
Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department has achieved remarkable success in diversified areas by framing rules for better management of national parks, enhanced revenue, combated illegal hunting and extended wildlife act to merged tribal districts during last two years in the province.
The department has initiated strong action against offenders and poachers involved in unlawful hunting of wild species and posting of its videos and pictures on social media during COVID-19 on basis of solid information and arrested all such accused and imposed heavy fine against them under wildlife laws.
Rules for effective management of national parks, community managed game reserves, wildlife parks and private games reserves were drafted out of which the prior two has been approved, documents revealed. The department has implemented the cabinet decisions of Khyber Pakthunkhwa and enhanced the fee structure for protected areas and its sports hunting programme. Sports hunting were regulated to stabilize population of patridges in selected games reserves. As many as 192 special permits were issued and Rs960,000 realized as fee besides permit fee was enhanced from Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 per permit during last two years.
The overall revenue of Markhor trophy hunting programme has been enhanced from US$351,300 to US$512,500 to protect the national animal of Pakistan in Chitral, Kohistan and others districts. The department has collected Rs85.071 million revenue till April 2020, which is Rs19.077 million higher than annual target of Rs65.994 million.
