Arunachal: Wildlife conservators raise concern over fishing activities around D. Ering Wildlife Sanctuary

Expert raises serious concern over issuing of fishing permissions to fish mahaldars and fishermen from village authorities and others from both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, as commercial fishing and commercial driftwood timber operation in and around the D. Ering WLS including at the areas of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in the same landscape adversely affects the ecology of the region and the movement of waterbirds
 
The D. Ering Wildlife Sanctuary division of Pasighat in association with the Eco-Development Committee (EDC) and Community Monitoring & Surveillance Team (CSMT) of the sanctuary with the support of a Guwahati-based renowned NGO, Aaranyak, conducted a six days long workshop/training cum Waterbird census in the sanctuary’s all three wildlife ranges i.e. Borguli, Sibiyamukh and Anchalghat.

The training and waterbird census was led by Tarun Kumar Roy, a Delhi-based Ecologist, Ornithologist and Conservationist who is a member in various reputed organizations like the Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN), IUCN SSC (TWSG, EC, Red-list Authority), AWC Delhi State Coordinator-Wetlands International South Asia.

The programme of 3-day workshop/training and another 3 days for bird census/survey was later clubbed together with 2 days each in all three wildlife ranges comprising one-day workshop/training and one-day bird census/survey. Earlier during the beginning of the programme, Tasang Taga, Divisional Forest Officer, D. Ering WLS gave his best wishes and sent out a message of the smooth and successful conduct of the training and Asian water-bird census which is a part of Asian Waterbird Conservation.

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The programme first began from Borguli Wildlife range led by C.K. Chowpoo, Range Officer on 4th December wherein Smty Ponung Ering Angu, a retired Jt. Director, ICDS, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh and daughter of late Daying Ering in whose name the sanctuary is named, also joined. Angu showed her happiness over the gradual and timely regaining of the sanctuary’s lost glory due to proper protection and conservation work from the DFO, field officers and staff with the support of EDC/CSMT in the last five years. She assured of supporting the sanctuary management and field staff in their protection work in her own personal capacity to bring the sanctuary to one of the favoured wildlife destinations in the North-east soon which in turn would benefit local communities in the form of eco-tourism. At Sibiyamukh Wildlife Range, Range Officer, Smty Oyem Mize welcomed and led the programme, while at Anchalghat Wildlife Range, Range Officer, Orin Perme received the team and led the programme at Jeepghat Beat where the day programme concluded on a good note on 9th December.

On the sideline of the workshop/training and waterbird census, Roy said that migratory birds that usually come from colder regions like Siberia, Mongolia etc are returning lately with fewer numbers. “By November and December the migratory birds used to visit D. Ering WLS and other birding places in India, but this year the birds’ arrival is getting late which is the same all around India along the Himalayan region. The region may be due to the changing climatic condition, but if the bird’s arrival becomes too late and few numbers arrive, then it will be a matter of concern and will require proper and deeper study on the matter”, said Roy who has been working and studying on birds by visiting D. Ering WLS annually or half yearly since 2019. Roy also said that the DEWS has the finest and biggest wetland in entire Arunachal Pradesh as the sanctuary is surrounded entirely by the various branches and tributaries of Siang/Brahmaputra river which is a favoured place of migratory and other wetland birds.

Meanwhile, during the field survey in the various islands of the sanctuary in search of waterbirds, three fishermen were found camping and do fishing inside the sanctuary area in the fish mahal owner of Assam and some driftwood timber operators from Assam were intercepted near Assam-Arunachal Pradesh (D. Ering WLS) boundary. The fishing nets with boats of fishermen along with timber operating materials like timber saws etc with two other boats were seized. Ecologist TK Roy observes that the illegal movements of fishermen and timber operators in the sanctuary river and wetland areas disturb the presence of waterbirds which need to be checked completely.

Roy also raised serious concerns on the issuing of fishing permissions to fish mahaldars and fishermen from village authorities and others from both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, as commercial fishing and commercial driftwood timber operations in and around the D. Ering WLS including at the areas of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in the same landscape adversely affects the ecology of the region and the movement of waterbirds.