Unsustainable turtle slaughter in BangladeshNovember 2011. Wildlife Extra recently became aware of the Kali Puja festival in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of turtles are slaughtered annually. To find out more about this festival, we asked Dr S. M. A. Rashid, chief executive of CARINAM (Centre for advanced research in natural resources & management), a few questions. Dr Rashid very kindly gave the following replies.
I have recently become aware of the Kali Puja Festival - I believe it is an annual event? Is this a long standing event, and how many turtles do they slaughter every year?
The Kali Puja is an annual festival observed by Hindus, mostly living in West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh. The Puja is a prayer on a holy occasion (like Christmas or Eid). The Hindu religion is not linked to eating turtles but somehow it has become a tradition among Hindus and almost every Hindu wants to eat turtles on this particular day as it is considered an auspicious or ‘holy' day, in much the same way that turkeys are eaten on Christmas. Several hundred thousand turtles are slaughtered every year all during Kali Puja.
Where do all the turtles come from, and are there any regulations over what species and numbers that may be killed?
All the turtles are captured from the wild. Collection of turtles is carried out all over Bangladesh and the traders have a very strong multi-tier network and mobile phones have made their work much more ‘productive'. The Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation Act 1974 prohibits capturing killing of some species listed in its Schedules. However the Act has been revised as The Bangladesh Wildlife Act 2011 and is now awaiting approval of the parliament. The revised act protects all wildlife.
There is no quota as to how many turtles may be captured/killed. No capture or killing is permitted under the Act/law but due to weak implementation and enforcement such illegal trade continues.
Read more here ...
Showing posts with label Bangladesh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangladesh. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Rat in curry prompts cull at Bangladeshi university
University officials in Bangladesh have ordered a major rat extermination drive after rodent meat found its way into chicken curry served to students.
The incident happened at Rajshahi University in western Bangladesh.
"One student detected the head of the rat while eating his lunch. That student instantly suffered a stomach upset," a spokesman told the BBC.
Soon after the incident hundreds of angry students staged a demonstration demanding action against the chef.
The chef has now been suspended and handed over to police who have been called in to investigate the incident.
"I told the students to stop eating in the dining hall of the university for two days. A drive to kill the rats in the dining hall is going on," university proctor Chowdhury Mohammad Zakaria told the BBC.
"It is a very unfortunate event and some 300 angry students gathered and protested against the unhygienic condition of food served in the university's dining hall.
"I must say that if I found rat meat in my food, I also would not be able to control my temper."
It was not immediately clear whether the rat meat was mixed with chicken curry intentionally.
In September 2009, a farmer was crowned Bangladesh's champion rat catcher after leading a team which he said killed more than 80,000 rodents in a month.
Mokhairul Islam was awarded a colour television at a ceremony attended by 500 farmers and officials in Dhaka.
The University of Rajshahi is one of the largest universities in the country and the largest in the northern region of Bangladesh.
The incident happened at Rajshahi University in western Bangladesh.
"One student detected the head of the rat while eating his lunch. That student instantly suffered a stomach upset," a spokesman told the BBC.
Soon after the incident hundreds of angry students staged a demonstration demanding action against the chef.
The chef has now been suspended and handed over to police who have been called in to investigate the incident.
"I told the students to stop eating in the dining hall of the university for two days. A drive to kill the rats in the dining hall is going on," university proctor Chowdhury Mohammad Zakaria told the BBC.
"It is a very unfortunate event and some 300 angry students gathered and protested against the unhygienic condition of food served in the university's dining hall.
"I must say that if I found rat meat in my food, I also would not be able to control my temper."
It was not immediately clear whether the rat meat was mixed with chicken curry intentionally.
In September 2009, a farmer was crowned Bangladesh's champion rat catcher after leading a team which he said killed more than 80,000 rodents in a month.
Mokhairul Islam was awarded a colour television at a ceremony attended by 500 farmers and officials in Dhaka.
The University of Rajshahi is one of the largest universities in the country and the largest in the northern region of Bangladesh.
Rat in curry prompts cull at Bangladeshi university
University officials in Bangladesh have ordered a major rat extermination drive after rodent meat found its way into chicken curry served to students.
The incident happened at Rajshahi University in western Bangladesh.
"One student detected the head of the rat while eating his lunch. That student instantly suffered a stomach upset," a spokesman told the BBC.
Soon after the incident hundreds of angry students staged a demonstration demanding action against the chef.
The chef has now been suspended and handed over to police who have been called in to investigate the incident.
"I told the students to stop eating in the dining hall of the university for two days. A drive to kill the rats in the dining hall is going on," university proctor Chowdhury Mohammad Zakaria told the BBC.
"It is a very unfortunate event and some 300 angry students gathered and protested against the unhygienic condition of food served in the university's dining hall.
"I must say that if I found rat meat in my food, I also would not be able to control my temper."
It was not immediately clear whether the rat meat was mixed with chicken curry intentionally.
In September 2009, a farmer was crowned Bangladesh's champion rat catcher after leading a team which he said killed more than 80,000 rodents in a month.
Mokhairul Islam was awarded a colour television at a ceremony attended by 500 farmers and officials in Dhaka.
The University of Rajshahi is one of the largest universities in the country and the largest in the northern region of Bangladesh.
The incident happened at Rajshahi University in western Bangladesh.
"One student detected the head of the rat while eating his lunch. That student instantly suffered a stomach upset," a spokesman told the BBC.
Soon after the incident hundreds of angry students staged a demonstration demanding action against the chef.
The chef has now been suspended and handed over to police who have been called in to investigate the incident.
"I told the students to stop eating in the dining hall of the university for two days. A drive to kill the rats in the dining hall is going on," university proctor Chowdhury Mohammad Zakaria told the BBC.
"It is a very unfortunate event and some 300 angry students gathered and protested against the unhygienic condition of food served in the university's dining hall.
"I must say that if I found rat meat in my food, I also would not be able to control my temper."
It was not immediately clear whether the rat meat was mixed with chicken curry intentionally.
In September 2009, a farmer was crowned Bangladesh's champion rat catcher after leading a team which he said killed more than 80,000 rodents in a month.
Mokhairul Islam was awarded a colour television at a ceremony attended by 500 farmers and officials in Dhaka.
The University of Rajshahi is one of the largest universities in the country and the largest in the northern region of Bangladesh.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Bangladesh okays strict law to protect endangered animals
(Reuters) - Bangladesh has approved a law that sets jail terms of up to 12 years for deliberately killing tigers and other wild animals endangered in the South Asian country, officials said on Saturday.
A recent cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also agreed to provide reparations to the families of victims killed or maimed by the animals that range between 100,000 taka ($1,415) and 50,000 taka.
Each family will also get 25,000 taka as compensation if wild animals destroy assets such as houses and crops.
"The cabinet approved jail terms from two years to 12 years for killing endangered snakes and animals including tigers," Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told Reuters.
The minimum jail term will be two years for killing pythons and crocodiles and a maximum of 12 years for killing tigers and elephants, Azad said.
Hasina will attend a conference on tigers in St. Petersburg, Russia, from Monday to discuss ways and means to protect the animals, officials said.
Bangladesh's southwestern mangrove forests, called Sundarbans and which also stretch across the border with India, are currently home to just 400 tigers and its southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts have 300 elephants. Many animals are killed in conflicts with humans, who are increasingly encroaching on their habitat, forest officials said.
At least 80 people, and some 15 tigers, have been killed in last five years across Bangladesh-controlled areas of the Sundarbans, which are dotted with hundreds of small islands and criss-crossed by rivers.
Some 60 percent of the 10,000 square km (3,900 square mile) Sundarbans lies in Bangladesh and the rest in India's eastern state of West Bengal.
On average, nearly 20 people are killed every year by wild elephants in Bangladesh's southeastern forests region bordering Myanmar and eastern India.
The elephants often stray in to villages in search of food and then go on a rampage when confronted by villagers, forest officials said.
At least a third of the 60,000 families who live in Bangladesh's Sundarbans live off the mangrove forest, putting them in direct conflict with its animals. The families collect honey, venture deep into the forest for fish and other aquatic life and also collect timber and straw, with our without permits from the forestry department.
One of the world's most densely populated nations, Bangladesh has forest cover of only 17.5 percent.
(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed, editing by Miral Fahmy)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AJ0LT20101120
A recent cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also agreed to provide reparations to the families of victims killed or maimed by the animals that range between 100,000 taka ($1,415) and 50,000 taka.
Each family will also get 25,000 taka as compensation if wild animals destroy assets such as houses and crops.
"The cabinet approved jail terms from two years to 12 years for killing endangered snakes and animals including tigers," Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told Reuters.
The minimum jail term will be two years for killing pythons and crocodiles and a maximum of 12 years for killing tigers and elephants, Azad said.
Hasina will attend a conference on tigers in St. Petersburg, Russia, from Monday to discuss ways and means to protect the animals, officials said.
Bangladesh's southwestern mangrove forests, called Sundarbans and which also stretch across the border with India, are currently home to just 400 tigers and its southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts have 300 elephants. Many animals are killed in conflicts with humans, who are increasingly encroaching on their habitat, forest officials said.
At least 80 people, and some 15 tigers, have been killed in last five years across Bangladesh-controlled areas of the Sundarbans, which are dotted with hundreds of small islands and criss-crossed by rivers.
Some 60 percent of the 10,000 square km (3,900 square mile) Sundarbans lies in Bangladesh and the rest in India's eastern state of West Bengal.
On average, nearly 20 people are killed every year by wild elephants in Bangladesh's southeastern forests region bordering Myanmar and eastern India.
The elephants often stray in to villages in search of food and then go on a rampage when confronted by villagers, forest officials said.
At least a third of the 60,000 families who live in Bangladesh's Sundarbans live off the mangrove forest, putting them in direct conflict with its animals. The families collect honey, venture deep into the forest for fish and other aquatic life and also collect timber and straw, with our without permits from the forestry department.
One of the world's most densely populated nations, Bangladesh has forest cover of only 17.5 percent.
(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed, editing by Miral Fahmy)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AJ0LT20101120
Bangladesh okays strict law to protect endangered animals
(Reuters) - Bangladesh has approved a law that sets jail terms of up to 12 years for deliberately killing tigers and other wild animals endangered in the South Asian country, officials said on Saturday.
A recent cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also agreed to provide reparations to the families of victims killed or maimed by the animals that range between 100,000 taka ($1,415) and 50,000 taka.
Each family will also get 25,000 taka as compensation if wild animals destroy assets such as houses and crops.
"The cabinet approved jail terms from two years to 12 years for killing endangered snakes and animals including tigers," Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told Reuters.
The minimum jail term will be two years for killing pythons and crocodiles and a maximum of 12 years for killing tigers and elephants, Azad said.
Hasina will attend a conference on tigers in St. Petersburg, Russia, from Monday to discuss ways and means to protect the animals, officials said.
Bangladesh's southwestern mangrove forests, called Sundarbans and which also stretch across the border with India, are currently home to just 400 tigers and its southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts have 300 elephants. Many animals are killed in conflicts with humans, who are increasingly encroaching on their habitat, forest officials said.
At least 80 people, and some 15 tigers, have been killed in last five years across Bangladesh-controlled areas of the Sundarbans, which are dotted with hundreds of small islands and criss-crossed by rivers.
Some 60 percent of the 10,000 square km (3,900 square mile) Sundarbans lies in Bangladesh and the rest in India's eastern state of West Bengal.
On average, nearly 20 people are killed every year by wild elephants in Bangladesh's southeastern forests region bordering Myanmar and eastern India.
The elephants often stray in to villages in search of food and then go on a rampage when confronted by villagers, forest officials said.
At least a third of the 60,000 families who live in Bangladesh's Sundarbans live off the mangrove forest, putting them in direct conflict with its animals. The families collect honey, venture deep into the forest for fish and other aquatic life and also collect timber and straw, with our without permits from the forestry department.
One of the world's most densely populated nations, Bangladesh has forest cover of only 17.5 percent.
(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed, editing by Miral Fahmy)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AJ0LT20101120
A recent cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also agreed to provide reparations to the families of victims killed or maimed by the animals that range between 100,000 taka ($1,415) and 50,000 taka.
Each family will also get 25,000 taka as compensation if wild animals destroy assets such as houses and crops.
"The cabinet approved jail terms from two years to 12 years for killing endangered snakes and animals including tigers," Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told Reuters.
The minimum jail term will be two years for killing pythons and crocodiles and a maximum of 12 years for killing tigers and elephants, Azad said.
Hasina will attend a conference on tigers in St. Petersburg, Russia, from Monday to discuss ways and means to protect the animals, officials said.
Bangladesh's southwestern mangrove forests, called Sundarbans and which also stretch across the border with India, are currently home to just 400 tigers and its southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts have 300 elephants. Many animals are killed in conflicts with humans, who are increasingly encroaching on their habitat, forest officials said.
At least 80 people, and some 15 tigers, have been killed in last five years across Bangladesh-controlled areas of the Sundarbans, which are dotted with hundreds of small islands and criss-crossed by rivers.
Some 60 percent of the 10,000 square km (3,900 square mile) Sundarbans lies in Bangladesh and the rest in India's eastern state of West Bengal.
On average, nearly 20 people are killed every year by wild elephants in Bangladesh's southeastern forests region bordering Myanmar and eastern India.
The elephants often stray in to villages in search of food and then go on a rampage when confronted by villagers, forest officials said.
At least a third of the 60,000 families who live in Bangladesh's Sundarbans live off the mangrove forest, putting them in direct conflict with its animals. The families collect honey, venture deep into the forest for fish and other aquatic life and also collect timber and straw, with our without permits from the forestry department.
One of the world's most densely populated nations, Bangladesh has forest cover of only 17.5 percent.
(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed, editing by Miral Fahmy)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AJ0LT20101120
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