The NWFP Department of Wildlife on Tuesday observed 'International Bio-diversity, Day 2007' with commitment to preserve and protect habitat for preservation and protection of the bio-diversity in the province.
To mark the Day a seminar was also held at the auditorium of the Wildlife Department of NWFP, Chief Conservator, Mumtaz Malik presided over the function. Chief Conservator, Wildlife, Mumtaz Malik, Syed Mubarak Ali Shah and Ashiq Ahmad Khan of World Wildlife Fund were given their presentations. The chief conservator Mumtaz Malik also gave a comprehensive.
Highlighting the importance of the day speakers said that the purpose was to review planning for the continuation of the life process on the planet. Giving his presentation, Syed Mubarak Ali Shah, a senior official of the department of wildlife said that the world has 20 million to 100 million species out of which 1.5 million had been discovered so far. He added that NWFP due to its peculiar situation is rich in Bio-diversity, saying it has 89 mammals out of 188, 455 birds out of 668 and 43 reptiles out of 177.
The province, he said also has 7 rare specie of snow leopards, Himalayan ibex, Marco polo sheep, blue sheep, brown bear whose population is on decline. Similarly, he said that black sheep has been found in Hazara, Swat and Dir Kohistans.
The bio-diversity, he said, plays crucial role in the survival of the human life and keeps environment balance, act as scavenger, regulate water yield. It also provide a gene pool for possible improvement in domesticated species, play important role in dispersal of seed and pollination, control flood, erosion, avalanche & landslides and provides material for industry and serves as important medium for scientific research.
The Chief Conservator, Wildlife NWFP, Mumtaz Malik was of the view that the protection of the bio-diversity was not only the responsibility of the sole department, but other related departments including agriculture, livestock and fisheries are also required to work inside their respective circles to protect the bio-diversity from destruction.
The failure in the protection of the bio-diversity is also causing food shortage in the world and protect it from complete destruction the provincial government established the Department of Wildlife through a NWFP Wildlife (Conservation, Promotion, Preservation and Protection) Act 1975.
He said the government has introduced some modification for the protection of all kind of lives. The amendments would be soon presented before the provincial government. Mr Malik said that under the act the provincial government has divided wild animals between two categories of protected and game animals.
The purpose of the protected animals is to protect some species from complete elimination. The government has banned business and possession of such species.
In the category of game animals, the government allows hunting and possession of such animals under certain prescribed rules and regulations.