Poaching threatens Iraq’s migratory bird populations

Shafaq News– Baghdad

Influential figures are operating illegal hunting areas targeting migratory birds in Iraq’s Maysan and Basra provinces, the environmental watchdog Green Iraq Environmental Observatory reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, the observatory said “powerful figures” have set traps for migratory birds by creating artificial lakes to lure them, describing the practice as a clear violation of environmental norms. It also identified the Bahr Al-Najaf area and Lake Razaza in Karbala province as hotspots for the illegal hunting of flamingos and other migratory bird species.

The observatory pointed to the need for authorities to closely monitor birds confiscated from market sellers, warning that many are re-hunted and resold, which it described as evidence of persistent illegal hunting. Such practices, it noted, often leave birds with “severe injuries, including amputated limbs or damage to their eyes, beaks, or wings.”

Continued hunting without effective deterrence could lead migratory birds to abandon the country altogether, it added.

Earlier, the watchdog reported that around 1,000 migratory birds fell victim to illegal hunting during December, urging the Interior Ministry to arrest hunters operating in the southern marshes rather than limiting enforcement to market vendors.