Wildlife board opposes farmers’ demand for hunted animal meat

Sandeep Jain, a co-opted member of Animal Welfare Board of India and former member of Punjab State Board for Wildlife, has described the demand of some farm unions to allow the consumption of meat of animals hunted after taking permits in the name of saving crops as totally unjustified. In a letter to the Punjab CM and Principal Secretary of the Department of Forest and Wildlife, Jain said certain farm unions were demanding that the Punjab Government should allow them to have the meat of killed wild animals, hunted after taking permits in the name of saving their crop.

He said it was totally unjustified as it would increase the hunting practice manifold, emphasising that it would also increase the chances of people selling it illegally.

It would be very difficult for the Wildlife Department, which had very limited resources, to check the illegal practice.

He said the duty of the Wildlife Department was to preserve the wildlife and save the biodiversity.

He said how could the orders be given regarding the consumption of wild animals. Meat/corpses of such animals should be destroyed by a committee consisting of the Wildlife Department, animal welfare organisations and human rights bodies, he said. Jain said the farmers could be given subsidies for crop insurance, electronic fencing, keeping dogs and compensation. He demanded that the government should not allow the consumption of hunted animals as it was against the aims and objectives of the department.