KARACHI: Highlighting the vital ecological services vultures deliver to humans, speakers at a programme held on Monday called for imposing strict penalties on vets prescribing a banned drug that, they said, was responsible for bringing the population of the large magnificent birds to the verge of extinction.

They were expressing their views on the launch of a vulture conservation project being jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature-Pakistan (IUCN-P) and Baanhn Beli in Tharparkar district.

The project titled `Preparation of a National Conservation Strategy`is supported by the USAID Small Grants and Ambassador`s Fund Programme.

National resource manager coordinator at IUCN-P Nadeem Mirbahar presented a detailed overview of the importance of vulturesand their importance in the biological ecosystem. The bird, he pointed out, was valued for its ecological, social and cultural significance.

He said the mystery behind the fast disappearance of vultures was unfolded by a research conducted in Dholewala and the Changa Manga forest during 2000-2001.

`The study carried out by the Ornithological Society of Pakistan showed that the use of diclofenac sodium (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in the livestock sector is the main cause of vulture deaths, he said, suggesting that the process of research in vulture conservation should continue.

According to him, the populations of long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) in South Asia had declined by more than 90 per cent since 1990s and the IUCN had listed all three species as critically endangered on its Red List.

Inspector General of Forest SyedMahmood Nasir said that though the specific drug was banned in the country in 2006, it was unfortunate that the number of vultures had continued to shrink.

`There is a need to impose strict penalties on doctors who prescribe the drug as its continued use has led to a steep decline in vulture population in the region,` he said.

Secretary of ministry of climate change Arif Ahmed Khan, who was the chief guest, expressed displeasure over the absence of relevant of ficials at the meeting focusing on the species` conservation. He said a positive change was not possible without a proactive role of the authorities.

Vulture, he said, was a unique bird bestowed with a natural ability to consume all types of carcasses contaminated with dangerous viruses and provide a clean environment to humans. The absence of vultures could lead to the rise in rabies and other diseases that had been eliminated after a long struggle bygovernments.

Country representative of the IUCN-P Mahmood Akhtar Cheema said the country`s efforts for vulture conservation had been appreciated in the region and the present project was one of the three recently initiated programmes for vulture conservation. He appreciated the contribution of the Pakistan National Vulture Recovery Committee.

In his welcome address, founding president of Baanhn Beli Javed Jabbar said humans had encroached upon the habitats of animals and had pushed many species towards extinction.

He also appreciated the support of USAID as well as the presence of representatives from Tharparkar.

Public and private sector oganisations, he said, needed to collaborate to protect habitats of vultures delivering tremendous ecological services.

The participants included senior government officials, representatives of NGOs and communities halling from Tharparkar.