Dozens protest flamingo poaching in Dhi Qar
flamingo bird
Jassem al-Assadi, an environmental expert at Nature Iraq, told ALMada Press during his participation in the protest, that the demonstration decries poaching of flamingos at Ahwar region, accusing local authorities of delinquency in applying agricultural and environmental regulations.
“Hunting with nets and pesticides, especially poisonous mustard, constitutes a massacre against migrant birds,” Assadi stated.
Hussein Ali, director of water resources at the province, said the enlistment of Ahwar among world heritage sports requires the preservation of the area’s biological diversity. “That was the reason the ministry of water resources launched recently a campaign to protect migrant birds and fish resources from poaching.”
In July, UNESCO placed the region of Ahwar among world heritage spots, describing it as a “refuge of biodiversity” and a “relict landscape of the Mesopotamian cities”. It added that “the Ahwar of Southern Iraq – also known as the Iraqi Marshlands – are unique, as one of the world’s largest inland delta systems, in an extremely hot and arid environment.”
The region represents a national reserve for many plants, wild and domesticate animals, besides migrant and migrant birds.
“The Ahwar is made up of seven components: three archaeological sites and four wetland marsh areas in southern Iraq,” UNESCO website says.