Federal Minister for Environment, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, has said that carcass-eating, environment-friendly vulture would be protected for its value in fighting off environmental pollution. He expressed these views in a meeting held in the Ministry of Environment here on 9 October.
Faisal said that vultures are valuable in preventing spread of diseases as they devour carcasses of animals within hours.
He said that population of white-backed vulture is declining in not only Pakistan but in such other South Asian countries as Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
The analytical work by Ornithological Society of Pakistan (OSP) and Peregrine Fund at Washington State University had revealed that the use of a veterinary medicine, Diclofenac, had resulted in dwindling number of oriental white-backed vultures in Pakistan, Faisal said, adding that research in countries like Nepal and South Africa also pointed finger at Diclofenac. The scientific studies, he said, also recommended that healthy birds (vultures) should be wrenched from the wild and their "captive breeding" should be started besides banning the use of Diclofenac as veterinary drug so as to protect this species.