HEAL’s Battle Against Commercial Bird Poaching Continues

10 February 2024

Team HEAL removed bird trapping nets, measuring nearly 20 kilometers, from Beel Belun, a wetland in the Khargram block of Murshidabad district. Team members Aditya Pardhan, Kankan Barman, Mintu Sarkar, and Santanu Das spearheaded the operation, with support from officials of the Nadia-Murshidabad forest department and Khargram police station.

HEAL’s field team along with local villagers after dismantling the mist-nets
Nets spanning nearly 20 Km were removed from the Beel Belun wetland

Beel Belun, the largest among the many wetlands our local team has vigilantly monitored since 2022, revealed these nets during routine surveillance on 07 February. These nets are extremely vicious as they can trap hundreds of birds weekly, if left intact. While removing the nets, our team encountered several dead birds.

Such activities by our team elicit diverse reactions from different groups. Local villagers have consistently demonstrated support by reporting potential poaching activities, utilizing the contact information on the awareness signboards installed by us. Conversely, frustrated poachers have resorted to dismantling these signboards.

A bird found dead after getting trapped in the nets laid down by poachers
A local villager dismantling nets erected by poachers for trapping birds

Despite these challenges, our commitment remains unwavering, and we are determined to persist in our efforts to thwart poachers’ attempts.