Local
Amid ongoing efforts by relevant authorities to strike a balance between pursuing hobbies and preserving natural resources, the Iraqi Hunters Association continues its persistent endeavors to regulate the hunting sector across the country, with a primary focus on protecting migratory birds and threatened wildlife species. In this context, the importance of strictly adhering to official regulations and laws that govern hunting seasons is highlighted, alongside enhancing joint coordination with various competent government bodies to curb illegal hunting phenomena and combat wildlife smuggling operations that threaten biodiversity. Elaborating on these efforts, Ahmed Mezher Shaker, a former board member of the association, stated in remarks that the institution prioritizes educating hunters and guiding them toward compliance with active laws and approved standards, in addition to overseeing hunting trips to minimize environmental risks threatening migratory birds and the overall ecological balance. He added that hunting seasons and the lists of species permitted to be targeted are entirely subject to official instructions and regulations issued by relevant authorities. He pointed out the necessity of strictly adhering to specified timeframes while completely staying away from border areas and military zones for public safety. He noted the great diversity of birds in Iraq, which range from migratory and resident to summer, winter, terrestrial, and aquatic species, explaining that this hobby extends among some members to include fishing in the marshlands with broad participation from hunters across various governorates. He clarified that the association aspires to expand its scope of work and elevate the level of services provided to professional and amateur hunters through ongoing cooperation with official bodies, pointing to joint future projects that include cooperation with the Ministry of Defense in the field of manufacturing hunting cartridges. He reviewed the experiences of hunting associations in other countries that rely on organizing diverse competitions and events and providing specialized companies to offer integrated services including transportation, accommodation, and hunting supplies, expressing his hope to benefit from these experiences to develop organized activities within Iraq. On his part, engineer Sayel Odeid Al-Faraon, the former secretary of the association, indicated that the institution is considered one of the self-funded organizations affiliated with the Civil Society Organizations Department at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and it is administratively linked to the Ministry of Environment while maintaining continuous coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and other related bodies. He added that the association strictly adheres to instructions regarding hunting seasons and cooperates closely with environmental police to protect birds and wild animals from the threat of extinction and limit their smuggling operations outside borders. Al-Faraon pointed out that organizing hunting operations for visitors coming from Gulf countries requires obtaining necessary official approvals and licenses, along with the necessity of complying with Iraqi regulations that accurately distinguish between species permitted to be hunted and those prohibited due to their rarity, explaining that coordination is carried out according to approved procedures and under the direct supervision of competent authorities. He noted that the negative impacts of marsh draining operations in previous periods were clearly reflected on aquatic birds that used to make the marshes of southern Iraq an essential station during their migration journeys from Europe, emphasizing that among the most prominent achievements of the association is securing official licenses for Iraqi hunters and providing a permanent headquarters that brings members together and enhances communication among them to organize the profession in a manner consistent with environmental protection requirements. He stressed at the conclusion of his remarks the centrality of continuous cooperation and coordination between the association and the ministries of environment, agriculture, interior, and other related bodies, in order to achieve the desired balance between practicing hunting as an organized activity and a beloved hobby, while protecting livestock and birds and preserving biodiversity in the Iraqi environment.
