Avian death traps around Barguna's orchards

Netting around jujube gardens in different upazilas of Barguna is resulting in the deaths of hundreds of birds every day.

Farmers of around 100 orchards in Amtali and Taltali upazilas of the district have put up netting to protect jujubes (boroi), from being eaten up by birds. However, the nets are turning out to be death traps for the avian population in this region.

This correspondent visited a number of orchards in the region to find many species of birds caught up in the nets.

Environmentalists worry this will affect the ecosystem as so many birds are dying each day.

Siddik Khan, a jujube farmer of Raibala village, said his garden was fully covered with a net to protect the fruits or else they would be eaten up by the birds.

One of the farmers also said that without these nets in place to protect their harvest, they would suffer financial losses.

However, Abdur Rashid, another farmer from Chunakhali village, said the birds that are dying due to being trapped in nets are usually the ones that protect their paddy fields from insects and other pests.

As such, this loss could mean further troubles for the farmers.

Meanwhile, Shahabuddin Panna, executive director of the non-governmental organisation Nazrul Smriti Sangsad (NSS), which works on environmental issues, said the relevant law needs to be implemented to prevent the killing. The government needs to take effective steps in this regard, he added.

Contacted, Harun Or Rashid, the forest officer of Amtali upazila, said they did not know about the matter but would look into it and take necessary action in this regard.

Professor ANM Aminur Rahman, a bird expert from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University in Gopalgonj, said, "It is a crime that birds are dying after being trapped in these nets. These birds directly benefit us and their loss could mean rice production is also affected in the future. This is an environmental disaster waiting to happen."

The correspondent found similar scenes of birds being trapped in nets when visiting Amtali upazila's North Raogha, South Raogha, Charkhali, West Chunakhali, Raibala, East Chunakhali, Bainbunia, Khekuani, Sonakhali, Kalibari orchards and Taltali Upazila's Dakkhin Badurgacha, West Badurgacha and East Badurgacha orchards to find the same incident unfolding everywhere.