Permits issued to members of Middle East royal families - Courtesy of Dawn.com
December 2011. At least 25 special permits have been issued to dignitaries belonging to the Arabian peninsula allowing them to hunt the internationally protected Houbara bustard during the hunting season 2011-2012.
Sources said almost half of the 25 permits - 12 to be precise - had been issued to men from the United Arab Emirates, which, ironically, has recently launched a Houbara bustard conservation programme at The National Avian Research Centre of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, under the auspices of the royal families of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Royalty given permits
Hunters from the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Bahrain received seven and five permits, respectively, Saudi Arabia just one. The permit holders include at least three rulers, many crown princes, and other members of royal families. A few commoners have also been granted the special hunting permits.
Only the person specified in the permit could hunt the houbara for 10 days through falconry only and the bag limit being 100 birds, says the code of conduct issued with the hunting permits by the foreign ministry.
Houbara bustards
The Houbara bustard is widely prized in Arabia as a quarry for falconers, particularly because its meat is valued an aphrodisiac. Widespread hunting and loss of habitat have greatly reduced numbers.
To see the full list of those given permits, go to Dawn.com
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/houbara-hunt.html
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