Qatar Royals Given Permission To Import Falcons
Federal Government gives permission to emir of Qatar and his family to import and re-export 200 falcons for moulting purposes during which falcons shed their aged feathers and re-grow young feathers. It is important to mention here that it is the first time that the import-cum-export permits for falcons for moulting purposes have been issued to Arab dignitaries. Conservationists have voiced their concerns on the high probability of falcons getting exchanged during this process as they might bring aged falcons replacing them with younger ones during their stay/hunt in Pakistan. They also added that this could be a pressing problem as the custom official lack adequate knowledge on wildlife and are unable to distinguish between aged and young falcons
If the falcons were changed by the hunters during their stay here, the country would be violating the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora, which controlled and monitored the international travel of the rare and endangered species.
